Patents Examined by Sarah Al-Hashimi
  • Patent number: 9341977
    Abstract: A light emission apparatus includes a detection unit, a first drive unit, and a second drive unit. The detection unit detects the state of a detection element. The first drive unit controls the light amount of a light beam to be emitted by a first light emitting element based on the state of the detection element detected by the detection unit. The second drive unit controls the light amount of a light beam to be emitted by a second light emitting element based on the state of the detection element detected by the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro Kawamoto, Yuta Nito
  • Patent number: 9333778
    Abstract: A back tension mechanism includes: a shaft to be connected to an axle of a medium roll; a rotation transmitting member connected to the shaft via a torque limiter and having an engaging portion; a first rotating member having a first engaged portion configured to, when the rotation transmitting member rotates in a first direction, engage with the engaging portion to receive a rotational force; a second rotating member having a second engaged portion configured to, when the rotation transmitting member rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, engage with the engaging portion to receive a rotational force; an urging member for urging the first rotating member in the second direction and the second rotating member in the first direction; and a base for limiting a range of rotation of the first rotating member and a range of rotation of the second rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Shinya Saito
  • Patent number: 9335653
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an optical scanning apparatus. A housing cover of the optical scanning apparatus includes a light blocking member. The light blocking member blocks stray light of a laser beam emitted from the optical scanning apparatus or blocks a laser beam having a possibility to be the stray light among the laser beams emitted from the optical scanning apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takuya Otsuka
  • Patent number: 9338890
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a printed wiring board; plural semiconductor array elements mounted on the printed wiring board in a row with an adhesive, each of the semiconductor array elements including plural semiconductor elements arranged in a row, the semiconductor array elements including a first semiconductor array element and a second semiconductor array element adjacent to the first semiconductor array element, the first semiconductor array element having a first facing surface, the second semiconductor array element having a second facing surface facing the first facing surface; a first contact prevention member that is made of organic material and disposed to project from the first facing surface; and a second contact prevention member that is made of organic material and disposed to project from the second facing surface. The first and second contact prevention members are disposed to abut each other or face each other with a gap therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventors: Takahito Suzuki, Eisuke Kuroki
  • Patent number: 9327515
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for compensating for process direction banding associated with a document processing system including a ROS. According to one exemplary embodiment, a ROS driver uses a plurality of beam delay/advance values to compensate for banding caused by an interaction of a halftone pattern and process direction density variations associated with the ROS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Paul Herloski
  • Patent number: 9315031
    Abstract: Provided is a recording apparatus allowing for a reduction in size of an ink jet recording apparatus. An ink jet recording apparatus includes a head unit that has a recording head which ejects ink and a relay adapter which relays an ink accommodating portion where ink is accommodated with the recording head, and is movable in a scanning direction of the recording head, and an ink tube that is connected to the relay adapter, guides ink which is sent from the ink accommodating portion to the relay adapter, and has flexibility, in which a height difference is formed in an upper portion of an adapter accommodating portion, where the relay adapter is accommodated, of the head unit, and the ink tube extends outside the head unit by using a space between a high position and a low position of the adapter accommodating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takeuchi, Hiroyuki Yoda, Kenji Oshima, Yoshisada Aoki, Satoshi Shimizu, Kazutoshi Sakamoto, Nobuhisa Nomoto
  • Patent number: 9316992
    Abstract: A light scanning apparatus including: an optical box configured to hold a light source and contain a deflecting device configured to deflect a light beam to scan the photosensitive member; and an electric wire bundle electrically connected to the deflecting device, the electric wire bundle being laid in a space between an outer wall and an inner wall of the box, wherein the electric wire bundle extends over the inner wall from the inside of the inner wall, is laid in the space, and extends over the outer wall from the space to the outside of the box, and a portion at which the bundle extends over the outer wall is provided closer to an opening portion of an image forming apparatus than a portion at which the bundle extends over the inner wall when the light scanning apparatus is mounted to a mounting portion of the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Ishidate, Yasuaki Otoguro
  • Patent number: 9304315
    Abstract: An optical scanning unit includes a rotatable multi-faceted mirror having a plurality of faces reflecting light flux emitted from a light source to scan a scanning area in a main scanning direction. A width of the light flux striking the rotatable multi-faceted mirror is smaller than a length of a face of the rotatable multi-faceted mirror. The entire of light flux striking the rotatable multi-faceted mirror is reflected at a first face when the light flux reflected by the rotatable multi-faceted mirror is directed to the center portion of the scanning area. A part of the light flux striking the rotatable multi-faceted mirror is reflected at the first face while the remaining of the light flux is reflected at a second face when the light flux reflected by the rotatable multi-faceted mirror is directed to a least one of the two end portions of the scanning area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yukio Itami, Yoshinori Hayashi, Naoki Miyatake, Yukihisa Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 9302507
    Abstract: A method of transporting a print medium in a printer. The includes suctioning the print medium onto an upper surface of a plurality of moving belts. The print medium experiences greater suction at an upstream side of the belts relative to a downstream side of the belts, the upstream and downstream sides being defined relative to a media feed direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Memjet Technology Limited
    Inventors: William Stone Cressman, Kenneth Andrew Regas, Jonathan Day Lucas, David Collins Burney, Patrick Kirk, Steve Inderieden, Neil Doherty, Lai Say Poh, Joo Beng Koh, Gilbert Magsakay
  • Patent number: 9290011
    Abstract: A printer includes a cassette mounting portion, a feed portion, a print head, a mechanical sensor, and a sensor holding portion. The cassette mounting portion is configured such that a tape cassette can be removably mounted therein. The tape cassette includes a tape and an indicator portion indicating a type of the tape. The feed portion is configured to feed, along a specified feed path, the tape contained in the tape cassette mounted in the cassette mounting portion. The print head is configured to perform printing on the tape fed by the feed portion. The mechanical sensor is configured to detect the type of the tape indicated by the indicator portion. The mechanical sensor includes a plurality of switch terminals and a switch holding portion. The sensor holding portion is configured to hold the mechanical sensor and to be moved between a first position and a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuma Hojo, Shinji Kobayashi, Masashi Tanizaki, Masashi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 9292243
    Abstract: A method including providing a first image on a label printer user interface, wherein the first image is representative of a label to be printed or an object to which a label is to be applied; and providing a second image on the user interface associated with the first image, said second image representative of a dimension of the first image; enabling a user to modify a dimension of the second image; wherein as the dimension of said second image is modified, the dimension of the first image is correspondingly updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: SANFORD, L.P.
    Inventors: Ron Jacobs, Stephen Charles Gohde, Stephen Spencer, Bram Boot, Latha Airodi, Nancy Elaine Taylor, David G. Nesfeder, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9283750
    Abstract: A firing circuit for a thermal inkjet-printing nozzle includes a heater resistor and a switch. The heater resistor heats ink to cause the ink to be ejected from the nozzle. The heater resistor has a first end and a second end, the second end connected to a ground. The switch controls activation of the heater resistor. The switch has a first end connected to a voltage source and a second end connected to the first end of the heater resistor. The switch operates in a constant current mode, such that an at least substantially constant current flows through the heater resistor upon activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Hang Liao, Bao Yeh, Galen H. Kawamoto, Dennis J. Schloeman, Richard R. Clark
  • Patent number: 9283764
    Abstract: A modular printer includes: a media feed path defining a media feed direction and a plurality of printer modules positioned in a staggered overlapping arrangement so as to extend across a width of the media feed path. Each printer module includes a printhead and a respective maintenance sled for slidably moving towards the printhead in a direction parallel to the media feed direction. Further, the maintenance sleds for neighboring printer modules are configured to move in opposite directions towards their respective printheads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Memjet Technology Limited
    Inventors: Alejandro Campillo, Rajan Ramaswamy, Tinh Tran, David Lovelace
  • Patent number: 9279979
    Abstract: An optical scanning device includes: a common optical deflector that deflects light beams from light source devices; and a scanning optical system that focuses the deflected light beams on different scanning surfaces. All the light beams from the light source devices are incident on the optical deflector in directions oblique to a normal line of the scanning surfaces in a main-scanning cross section and to a normal line of a deflecting reflection plane of the optical deflector in a sub-scanning cross section. The scanning optical system includes individual lenses which are individually arranged for the respective light beams and have a plane shape symmetric in the main-scanning direction and satisfies a predetermined condition, and an optical axis of the individual lens is arranged obliquely to the normal line of the scanning surface in the main-scanning cross section so as to satisfy a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventor: Yukihisa Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 9272524
    Abstract: A controller regulates pressures of a positive pressure space and a negative pressure space and maintains the pressures at setting pressures when ink is circulated in a circulation path, by: driving an air pump to apply the setting pressures to the positive pressure space and the negative pressure space; and after the setting pressures are applied, controlling opening and closing of a positive-pressure-side pressure regulation valve, opening and closing of a negative-pressure-side pressure regulation valve, and driving of the air pump according to the pressures in the positive pressure space and the negative pressure space, and opening the positive-pressure-side pressure regulation valve or the negative-pressure-side pressure regulation valve simultaneously with the driving of the air pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sugitani, Tomoyuki Akiyama, Isao Matsushima
  • Patent number: 9272366
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cable marking system comprising: -at least one marking area for marking a portion of cable by means of at least one laser device; -at least one laser device; -at least one cable-driving device designed to pass said cable through said at least one marking area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: LASELEC
    Inventors: Fabien Reversat, Stephane Rougier, Pierre Bouvet
  • Patent number: 9270861
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for printing inks on a substrate, and also to a substrate obtained by using such a method, which method comprises the following steps: i) creating a digital file of an original image, ii) processing said digital file to obtain a processed digital file, which processed digital file is made up of a number of compositions of the original image, iii) presenting the processed digital file to a printing unit, iv) printing the substrate by means of said printing unit, wherein the processed file is printed on the substrate by the printing unit as a processed image of the original image, using inks, wherein the original dimension of the original image used in step i) is smaller than the dimension of the processed image being printed on the substrate by the printing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: TRESPA INTERNATIONAL B.V.
    Inventor: Wilhelmus Josephus Alex Van De Wall
  • Patent number: 9266341
    Abstract: A liquid tank holding mechanism for detachably holding a liquid tank to a main body portion includes a biasing member, a cover and a lever, wherein: the biasing member biases the liquid tank in a disengaging direction with the liquid tank mounted; the lever includes a lock, a biasing portion, a shaft, and a retainer and is attached to the cover pivotally around the shaft; when the retainer abuts the retainer catch, a center of the shaft is placed so as to be closer to the bearing region than is the shortest line linking a tip of the first bearing portion and a tip of the second bearing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Naoko Tsujiuchi, Satoshi Kimura, Kyosuke Toda
  • Patent number: 9268251
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which an image is formed on a recording material includes an exposure unit that forms a non-image section potential through exposure of a photoconductor at a first laser power and forms an image section potential through exposure of the photoconductor at a second laser power that is greater than the first laser power. A control unit controls an output of laser power of the exposure unit. The output of the first laser power is controlled during formation of the non-image section potential, so as to be of a first intensity at the middle of an image forming region of the recording material, and to be of a second intensity, stronger than the first intensity, at end sections of the image forming region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Okubo
  • Patent number: 9259934
    Abstract: A printer includes a head portion, a wiper, a wiper support portion, an urging portion, an inclined portion, an engagement portion, and a guide wall portion. The head portion includes a nozzle surface including a nozzle configured to eject liquid. The nozzle surface extends in a first direction and an orthogonal direction. The wiper is configured to contact with the nozzle surface. The wiper support portion supports the wiper. The urging portion is configured to urge the wiper in a second direction. The first protrusion portion is provided on the wiper support portion. The inclined portion is configured to move the wiper between a contact position and a separated position in accordance with movement of the inclined portion. The engagement portion is configured to engage with the first protrusion portion. The guide wall portion is configured to guide the movement of the wiper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Haruo Kobayashi