Patents Examined by Scott A Richmond
  • Patent number: 12076997
    Abstract: Provided is an image recording method including an applying step of applying a pretreatment liquid containing water and an aggregating agent onto an impermeable base material and applying an ink containing water and a colorant onto a region of the impermeable base material where the pretreatment liquid has been applied, and a drying step of drying the ink applied onto the region to obtain an image, in which the drying step includes blowing of hot air at a wind speed of greater than 15 m/s to the ink applied onto the region, and in a case where the number of grams of the ink applied per 1 m2 in an image area with a density of 100% is defined as X, and the number of grams of the pretreatment liquid applied per 1 m2 in the image area with a density of 100% is defined as Y, a viscosity of a kneaded material obtained by adding (6.5Y/X) mg of the pretreatment liquid to 10 g of the ink and defoaming and kneading the mixture at 200 rpm for 5 minutes is in a range of 30 mPa·s to 500 mPa·s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Kawai, Ryuji Shinohara, Yushi Hongo
  • Patent number: 12077011
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a glue belt as an example of a transport belt including a support unit configured to support a medium, the support unit being configured to transport a medium by moving the support unit, a liquid ejecting unit configured to eject liquid onto a medium supported by the support unit, and a dyeing unit configured to perform dyeing by immersing a medium in dyeing liquid. Printing is performed on the medium by combining dyeing by the dyeing unit and ejecting by the liquid ejecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shin Komatsu, Satoru Kobayashi, Shigenori Nakagawa, Yoshitaka Miyajima, Saeko Maruyama
  • Patent number: 12070938
    Abstract: A printing device includes a first accommodating unit, an image-recording unit, a cutting unit, and a second accommodating unit. The first accommodating unit is configured to accommodate a printing medium therein. The printing medium is conveyed in a first conveying direction along a first conveying path. The cutting unit is configured to cut the printing medium to separate the printing medium into a first printing medium and a second printing medium. The second accommodating unit is configured to accommodate therein the second printing medium which has is produced by cutting the printing medium by the cutting unit. A length of the second accommodating unit in a printing medium conveying direction is shorter than a length of the first accommodating unit in the printing medium conveying direction. The second printing medium is conveyed to the second accommodating unit in a second conveying direction along a second conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mamoru Namba
  • Patent number: 12070937
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a plurality of set units to set rolled print media, a conveyance unit to convey the print media, a printing unit, a detection unit, and display units. The printing unit prints an image on the print media conveyed by the conveyance unit. The detection unit detects whether any one of the print media is fed to a predetermined printable position at which printing is performable by the printing unit. Each display unit is provided on a different one of the plurality of set units and configured to indicate whether a print medium set in a corresponding set unit is being fed. When the printing unit performs printing on the print medium, each display unit indicates whether the print medium set in the corresponding set unit is being fed in accordance with a result of detection performed by the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouhei Tokuda, Toshinobu Tokita, Hideyuki Nozawa, Yasuyuki Asai, Ryutaro Taira
  • Patent number: 12070960
    Abstract: A recording device includes a recorder, a placement portion, an adjustment mechanism, a movement mechanism, a medium detector, an input portion, a notification portion, and storage. The recorder performs a positional information notification operation of causing the notification portion to notify positional information of the placement portion in a first direction based on identification information of a medium input by the input portion and correspondence information stored in the storage, and a detection result notification operation including moving the placement portion so that an entire region in the second direction of the placement portion passes through a detection position, causing the medium detector to detect whether the medium is located at a reference position during when the medium is passing through the detection position, and causing the notification portion to notify information based on a result of the detection by the medium detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yohei Nunokawa
  • Patent number: 12064984
    Abstract: A printed matter producing method includes forming an intermediate layer over a base material; applying an ink receiving layer forming liquid to the intermediate layer to form an ink receiving layer; and applying an ink to the ink receiving layer by an inkjet method to form an image. The viscosity of the ink receiving layer forming liquid at 25 degrees C. is 40 mPa·s or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuma Usui, Mikiko Takada, Yukio Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 12043027
    Abstract: A printing apparatus prints by discharging ink to a transfer member from a first printhead, discharging a transfer accelerator to the ink from a second printhead, and transferring an image formed on the transfer member to a print medium. When inspecting a discharge state of each of plural nozzles provided in each of the first and second printheads, the apparatus controls the second printhead so as to discharge the transfer accelerator from at least one nozzle of the second printhead to a discharge area of the transfer member to which the ink is discharged by the first printhead for inspection of the discharge states of the plural nozzles of the first printhead, while inspecting a discharge state of a nozzle different from the at least one nozzle of the second printhead by discharging the transfer accelerator from the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiko Umezawa, Kouichi Serizawa, Satoshi Kitai, Yoshiaki Murayama, Takeshi Murase
  • Patent number: 12043039
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a generation unit generating a first chart image having a plurality of patches with different tone values, an obtaining unit obtaining measurement values acquired by measuring a test chart created by forming the first chart image on a medium, the measurement values indicating densities of a color material in regions of the test chart corresponding to the respective patches, and a selection unit selecting at least one tone value in a range in which an output characteristic of the image forming apparatus derived based on the tone values of the respective patches and the measurement values satisfies a predetermined condition. The generation unit generates a second chart image having a patch corresponding to the selected tone value included and at least one patch corresponding to the tone value outside the range in which the output characteristic satisfies the predetermined condition is omitted among the patches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Nakatani, Hisashi Ishikawa, Naoya Takesue
  • Patent number: 12036792
    Abstract: The electrohydrodynamic print head includes a nozzle layer with a plurality of nozzles. A feed layer is arranged above nozzle layer. It contains feed ducts for feeding ink to the nozzles as well as electrically conducting feed lines for feeding voltages to electrodes at nozzles. The feed layer includes one or more dielectric sublayers, which is/are structured to form the feed ducts and feed lines. Some of the sublayers contain vertical via sections and others contain horizontal interconnect sections. The feed layer is structured for customizing the print head easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Scrona AG
    Inventor: Patrick Galliker
  • Patent number: 12030311
    Abstract: The disclosure concerns a test apparatus comprising a drum (100) configured such that ink drops (200) deposited on the surface of the drum form a printed marking (210) on the surface of the drum. The test apparatus further comprises an ink removal unit (300) configured to remove ink from the surface of the drum. The drum is at least partially transmissive of light and a light source (800) is disposed inside the drum to controllably illuminate the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Dave Moule, Mark Smith
  • Patent number: 12030321
    Abstract: A raised shape is appropriately formed on a medium. A printing device 10 includes inkjet heads 102y to 102k that are a plurality of color ink heads, an inkjet head 102w that is a light reflective ink head, and a controller 30. The controller 30 causes the inkjet heads 102y to 102k and the inkjet head 102w to form a layered ink region and an image region on the medium 50. The layered ink region is a region including a plurality of colored regions (four-color regions) that are colored regions formed by causing at least two inkjet heads among the plurality of inkjet heads 102y to 102k to eject ink, and a plurality of white layers that are light reflecting regions formed on the colored region. The colored regions in the layered ink region are superimposed with at least the white layer interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keita Nishio, Izumi Mizukami
  • Patent number: 12030325
    Abstract: A media processing device includes: a body defining a media supply chamber and carrying a print head; a cover carrying a platen roller, the cover having an open position enabling access to the chamber, and a closed position enclosing the chamber, and cooperating with the body to define a media path extending from the chamber, between the print head and the platen roller, to a media outlet; a target conductor affixed to one of the body and the cover; and an inductive proximity sensor affixed to the other of the body and the cover, disposed to detect the target conductor when the cover is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick J. Hegarty, Stephen A. Carello, Devan J. Lippman
  • Patent number: 12023930
    Abstract: According to one or more embodiments, the inkjet head includes an actuator and a driver. The actuator causes a pressure chamber to expand or contract. The driver applies an ejection pulse to the actuator to eject ink from the pressure chamber. The ejection pulse includes an expansion pulse having a width of 0.75 to 1.25 times a pressure propagation time of the pressure chamber, a rest period after the expansion pulse, and a contraction pulse after the rest period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 12023915
    Abstract: A printing apparatus, having a container to store a printing medium therein, an acquisition device to acquire image data, a printing device to print an image on the printing medium, a cutter assembly to cut the printing medium, and a controller, is provided. In a case where a size of the image contained in the image data acquired by the acquisition device is smaller than a size of the printing medium stored in the container, the controller generates rotated image data containing a rotated image, which is an image rotated from an original posture of the image in the image data acquired by the acquisition device, controls the printing device based on the generated rotated image data to print the rotated image on the printing medium, and controls the cutter assembly to cut the printing medium having the rotated image printed by the printing device thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shunsuke Minamikawa, Koichi Tsugimura, Yusuke Arai, Isao Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 12011943
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first supplying device configured to supply a first ink onto a recording medium to form a non-color print layer on the recording medium, the first ink comprising non-color particles; and a second supplying device configured to supply a second ink onto the recording medium having the non-color print layer formed thereon, to form a color print layer on the recording medium, the second ink including color pigment particles that are decolored when heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignees: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA, PILOT CORPORATION, THE PILOT INK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Maiko Miyoshi, Hiroshi Kiyomoto, Yui Hiyoshi, Taishi Fukazawa
  • Patent number: 12005712
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing unit to apply ink containing a coloring material, and a reactive liquid that reacts with the ink, to a printing medium, a reading unit to read an ink image on the printing medium, and a printing control unit to cause the printing unit to print a plurality of ink images different in application amount of the reactive liquid on the printing medium. In addition, a determination unit determines an application amount of the reactive liquid in printing using a predetermined type of printing medium, based on a ratio of a plurality of reading results obtained by the reading unit by reading the plurality of ink images printed on the predetermined type of printing medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Yazawa, Hidehiko Kanda, Yoshinori Nakajima, Akihiro Tomida, Takayuki Ushiyama, Keiji Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 12005706
    Abstract: An inkjet printing device includes a stage; an inkjet head disposed above the stage and comprising nozzles through which ink is discharged, the ink including bipolar elements extending in a direction; an ink circulation part which supplies the ink to the inkjet head, and to which the ink remaining after being discharged from the inkjet head is supplied; and at least one sensing part disposed between the inkjet head and the ink circulation part and sensing a number of the bipolar elements that are discharged through the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: An Na Ryu, Jin Oh Kwag, Heung Cheol Jeong
  • Patent number: 11993078
    Abstract: A recording device including: a liquid ejecting unit configured to eject liquid to a first surface of a medium transported in a transport direction, a roller disposed downstream of the liquid ejecting unit in the transport direction and configured to rotate in contact with the first surface, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to form a first pattern of the liquid on the first surface by controlling ejection of the liquid by the liquid ejecting unit, and to form a detection region for the first pattern at a specific position on the first surface at which the roller is brought into contact with the first surface when a rotational angle of the roller becomes m °+360°, m ° being a rotational angle of the roller when the roller is brought into contact with the first pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shun Sakaihara, Yuya Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11986365
    Abstract: A coloring device for coloring a dental prosthesis by an inkjet method, the dental prosthesis coloring device includes an inkjet head having a nozzle that ejects ink droplets; a holding unit that holds the prosthesis; a drive unit that moves the inkjet head or the holding unit in a predetermined direction in an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system; and a control unit that controls the inkjet head and the drive unit, wherein the control unit is configured to control the inkjet head and the drive unit based on predetermined coloring data and three-dimensional data of the prosthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: KURARAY NORITAKE DENTAL INC.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Ito, Sho Ito
  • Patent number: 11981131
    Abstract: A print element substrate comprises print elements generating thermal energy for ejecting liquid; and a temperature detection element circuit including temperature detection elements provided corresponding to each of the print elements, and reading temperature information by selectively energizing one of the temperature detection elements, wherein the temperature detection element circuit includes: a signal processing portion outputting a selection signal having a second voltage amplitude larger than a first voltage amplitude, based on an input signal having the first voltage amplitude; a selection switch provided for each of the plurality of temperature detection elements, selecting the temperature detection element; and a first read switch provided for each of the plurality of temperature detection elements, reading a voltage of a terminal of one of the temperature detection element selected by the selection switch, and wherein the selection switch and the first read switch are driven by using the selection
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hideo Kanno, Nobuyuki Hirayama