Patents Examined by Scott A Richmond
  • Patent number: 11975541
    Abstract: A method including: a conveying step of conveying a continuous sheet to be a component of a disposable worn article in a longitudinal direction; a printing step of repeatedly printing a predetermined pattern by spraying ink from a first group of nozzles of an inkjet print head onto a surface of the continuous sheet; and a flushing step of performing a flushing operation of spraying ink from at least a second group of nozzles of the head onto the surface of the continuous sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: ZUIKO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya Ooue, Shuji Satake
  • Patent number: 11975534
    Abstract: In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a fluidic die is described. The fluidic die includes an array of fluid actuators grouped into primitives. The fluidic die also includes a fluid actuator controller to selectively activate fluid actuators via activation data. The fluidic die also includes an array of actuator evaluators, wherein each actuator evaluator of the fluidic die is coupled to a subset of the array of fluid actuators. The actuator evaluators selectively evaluate an actuator characteristic of a selected fluid actuator based on: an output of an actuator sensor paired with the selected fluid actuator, the activation data, and an evaluation control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Martin, Daryl E Anderson
  • Patent number: 11970009
    Abstract: Disclosed are high stability ink delivery system systems and methods for their use, in which a secondary reservoir is placed upstream of a printhead. The secondary reservoir can be opened to the atmosphere through a valve, such as based on the reading of a pressure sensor placed at a point before the printhead. The purpose of this valve is to open the secondary reservoir to the atmosphere when the pressure sensor indicates that the secondary reservoir can be open while avoiding air aspiration, and closing it when this condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING, INC.
    Inventors: Juan Escudero Gonzalez, Eduardo Bueno Espinal
  • Patent number: 11970010
    Abstract: An example printhead includes a circulation channel having an inlet for receiving a fluid and an outlet for expelling the fluid, a first nozzle fluidically coupled to the circulation channel, the first nozzle being operable at a first absolute pressure, and a second nozzle fluidically coupled to the circulation channel, the second nozzle being operable at a second absolute pressure, the absolute second pressure being lower than the first absolute pressure. The absolute pressure in the circulation channel decreases as the fluid flows from the inlet to the outlet, and the first nozzle is positioned closer to the inlet of the circulation channel than the second nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jacob Lum, James A. Feinn, Mengqian Lu, Garrett E. Clark
  • Patent number: 11964498
    Abstract: Example implementations relate to a printer comprising at least one printhead, carried by a carriage, to print onto a substrate, a surface to support the substrate; the surface comprising a plurality of platens associated with an elongate member; each platen having an upper planar surface forming part of the surface for supporting the medium and being adjustable to vary a characteristic of the upper planar surface to influence a distance between the upper planar surface and the at least one printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Luis Sole Enrech, Ricardo Oltra Ramirez, Jose Angel Villasante Bembibre, Alex Rius Laorden
  • Patent number: 11964499
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head angle adjuster for individually adjusting inclination angles of a plurality of liquid discharge heads includes a plurality of array members and a plurality of array supports. The plurality of array members holds the liquid discharge heads. The plurality of array supports the array members. At least one of the array supports includes a first support, a second support, and a pressing member. The first support is disposed on one side in a direction in which one of the liquid discharge heads is rotated when an inclination angle of the one of the liquid discharge heads is adjusted. The first support supports a rotation fulcrum of one of the array members. The second support is disposed on a side opposite the first support, and supports another of the array member. The pressing member presses the rotation fulcrum against the first support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Kengo Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 11958295
    Abstract: A cartridge detachably mounted in a liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid introduction portion includes: a liquid supply portion having a supply portion flow path; a valve seat having a valve seat insertion port; a valve body upstream of the valve seat; a biasing member biasing the valve body toward the valve seat; a cap located downstream of the valve seat; and a liquid absorbing material in contact with the cap, in which the cap has a first surface facing the valve seat, a second surface facing the first surface and contacting the liquid absorbing material, a cap insertion port formed over the first and second surfaces, into which the liquid introduction portion is inserted, a groove formed in the first surface and facing the valve seat, and a hole formed over the first and second surfaces and coupled to the groove, and liquid absorbing material is in the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shun Oya
  • Patent number: 11958300
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a carriage on which the recording head is mounted and in which a first measuring area and a second measuring area are provided, a platen disposed to face the recording head, a reference portion disposed on the platen at a position faceable by the recording head; a distance sensor provided on either of the carriage or the reference portion and configured to measure a distance between a measuring area and the reference portion, and a controller that determines an inclination of the carriage with respect to the platen based on a measurement result of the distance sensor, and controls execution of a predetermined process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Murayama, Shinya Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11958303
    Abstract: Provided is a printing apparatus including: a guide unit configured to guide movement, in a first direction, of the printing apparatus held and moved by a user; a printing unit configured to print an image onto a print medium with the movement in the first direction; a second guide unit configured to guide movement of the printing apparatus in a second direction crossing the first direction; a detection unit configured to detect a relative moving amount between the printing apparatus and the print medium; and a control unit configured to cause a notification unit to make a predetermined notification according to a first distance in the first direction between the printing unit and the detection unit and a position at which an operation of printing a single line by the printing unit is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuyo Ohashi, Hiroshi Nakai
  • Patent number: 11951756
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a pattern correction unit configured to change a mutual positional relationship among a plurality of divided pieces of first image data obtained by dividing first image data representing a first pattern formed in a fabric to generate corrected first image data having a center made up of four corners of the first image data, a pattern extracting unit configured to compare the corrected first image data with second image data generated by imaging the fabric to extract a pattern region corresponding to a second pattern represented by the corrected first image data from the second image data, a printing image generation unit configured to arrange third image data representing an image to be printed overlaid on the first pattern so as to match a region having centers of the pattern regions as four corners to generate printing image data, and a printing control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Kayahara
  • Patent number: 11945236
    Abstract: A portable thermal printer, configured to be stand-alone or integrated in a handheld multifunction device, includes a printing mechanism having a paper pressing roller positioned in proximity to a paper output opening or slot with reversible constraint member, and a mechanism for the release of the paper pressing roller, the reversible constraint member being configured to engage a rotation pin of the paper pressing roller. The insertion/extraction of the rotation pin in/from the constraint member is performed by translating the paper pressing roller in an exit direction lying on an exit plane, and the release mechanism is configured to exert a force on the paper pressing roller in a direction parallel to the exit direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Inventor: Silvano Mansutti
  • Patent number: 11945241
    Abstract: A printer for printing plate-like media made of plastic and/or metal such as printing marker cards with markers for marking electrical appliances has various functional devices and an apparatus for handling the printable plate-like media. The marker cards are conveyed in the printer between the functional devices. The handling apparatus has several stations which are formed as receiving and fixing devices for a marker card to be printed. One or more of the stations is configured so as to be pivotable, such that it can be pivoted out of a first pivot position into a second pivot position against a resilient stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Markus Dahlmann, Thorsten Bornefeld, René Manke, Rico Schindler, Thomas Köster
  • Patent number: 11945225
    Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a matrix representation of a source image to be printed, the matrix representation defining a colorant value for each of a plurality of print addressable locations, wherein the colorant values are representative of amounts of print colorant to be delivered to the print addressable locations during a printing operation. The method may comprise identifying, by processing circuitry, a region in the matrix representation having a first print addressable location and an adjacent second print addressable location, wherein a difference between colorant values of the first print addressable location and the second print addressable location meets or exceeds a defined colorant value threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Sara Echevarria Benito, Ruben Recasens Oros, Alexandre Rodriguez Llofriu
  • Patent number: 11932029
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a temperature adjustment device for a printing machine with a plurality of inking devices mounted therein, the device being capable of adjusting the temperatures of ink smoothing function rollers in the respective inking devices uniformly and accurately. The temperature adjustment device for a printing machine according to the present invention is a temperature adjustment device for a printing machine that adjusts temperatures of rollers in a plurality of inking devices mounted in a printing machine by supplying temperature-regulated water to shaft parts of the rollers, and is characterized by having a plurality of smoothing function roller temperature regulators, provided respectively corresponding to the inking devices, and each adjusting the temperature of the ink smoothing function roller among a series of rollers in each of the inking devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: TOYO SEIKAN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Iori Takatori, Ryouta Nagatsuka, Osamu Hatano, Tooru Shimomura
  • Patent number: 11932034
    Abstract: Provided is a manually scanned printing apparatus capable of suppressing deterioration in image quality. To provide this, a support portion of a guide roller and a support portion of a downstream position detection sensor are configured to be displaceable relative to each other in a direction substantially orthogonal to the printing surface of a print medium to be printed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuyo Ohashi, Hiroshi Nakai
  • Patent number: 11932013
    Abstract: A printing device includes a head and a carriage. The head has a nozzle. The head is configured to eject liquid from the nozzle toward a printing medium. The carriage is configured to move the head in a first direction. The carriage includes a first distance sensor. The first distance sensor is configured to measure a distance between the head and the printing medium. The first distance sensor is a specular reflection type distance sensor. The first distance sensor includes a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. The light-emitting element and the light-receiving element are aligned in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirofumi Kondo
  • Patent number: 11926165
    Abstract: An image forming method is provided that includes discharging, from a liquid discharged head, a white ink onto a recording medium to form a first layer having a first width, and a color ink onto the first layer to form a second layer having a second width. When the second width is equal to or smaller than a threshold, the first width is equal to the second width, and when the second width is larger than the threshold, the first width is smaller than the second width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigetoshi Hosaka
  • Patent number: 11926154
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a digital signal output circuit and a liquid accommodating container, in which the print head includes a supply port, a nozzle plate, a substrate having first and second sides positioned opposite to each other, third and fourth sides positioned opposite to each other, a first surface, and a second surface, a connector to which the digital signal is input, and an integrated circuit to which the digital signal is input via the connector and that outputs an abnormality detection signal, the connector is provided on the first surface, the integrated circuit is provided on the second surface, the substrate includes an annular wiring electrically coupled to the integrated circuit, and the annular wiring is disposed in an annular shape along an outer periphery of the substrate including the first side, the second side, the third side, and the fourth side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuma Fujihashi, Yasuhiko Kosugi
  • Patent number: 11919293
    Abstract: A recording device includes: a recording unit configured to perform recording by liquid to a recording medium; a support unit configured to support the recording medium subjected to printing and transported in a transport direction; a drying mechanism including a heated air blower including a heat source and a blowing unit; a number of rotations detecting unit configured to detect a number of rotations of the blowing unit; and a control unit configured to control the drying mechanism. The support unit and the heated air blower are disposed sandwiching a transport path of the recording medium at a position downstream of the recording unit in the transport direction. The control unit controls the number of rotations of the blowing unit based on an output of the number of rotations detecting unit in a state in which a constant power is applied to the heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Yoda
  • Patent number: 11912019
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a plurality of conveyors configured to convey a recording medium in a conveyance direction; an image recording device configured to record an image on the recording medium; a divider disposed downstream of the conveyors and the image recording device in the conveyance direction, the divider being configured to perform a dividing process including dividing the recording medium into a plurality of pieces; and a controller configured to bring the divider into contact with the recording medium to perform the dividing process on the recording medium with holding an upstream side relative to a central position of the recording medium in the conveyance direction by at least two or more of the plurality of conveyors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takahashi