Patents Examined by Sharon Polk
  • Patent number: 11964489
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head including a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink, a conveyor belt that has a plurality of apertures and conveys recording media one by one, a control unit, an ink receiver, and a pipe-shaped ink discharge flow path. The control unit controls drive of the recording head and the conveyor belt to perform flushing, in which the ink is ejected from the nozzle of the recording head to pass through one of the apertures, at a timing different from a timing contributing to image recording. The ink receiver is disposed to face the recording head sandwiching the conveyor belt therebetween, to receive the ink after passing through the aperture when the flushing is performed. The ink discharge flow path is connected to the ink receiver. When the flushing is performed, a predetermined amount of liquid is stored in the ink receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Somete, Chikara Ishihara, Noriaki Furukawa, Takuma Araki, Jun Nakano, Hiroomi Nakatsuji, Issei Nakano
  • Patent number: 11964487
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes: a carriage movable in a first direction; a head mounted on the carriage; a holder movable in the first direction; a cap unit mounted on the holder; and first and second guide portions. The cap unit is movable relative to the holder in the first direction and is also movable toward and away from the head in a second direction crossing the first direction. The head is configured to abut on a second abutment portion of the cap unit in accordance with movement of the carriage in the first direction toward a first abutment portion of the holder. The first guide portion is configured to guide the holder in the first direction. The second guide portion is configured to guide the holder in the second direction to move the cap unit toward the head in accordance with movement of the holder in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuta Arakawa
  • Patent number: 11964474
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a plurality of medium containing units that is provided along a vertical direction and contains a medium before recording, a liquid ejecting head that performs recording by ejecting liquid toward the medium, and at least one liquid containing unit that contains the liquid. The plurality of medium containing units includes a first medium containing unit located at an uppermost position, and a second medium containing unit located below the first medium containing unit. A size of the first medium containing unit in a medium feeding-out direction, in which the medium is fed out, is smaller than a size of the second medium containing unit in the medium feeding-out direction, and the at least one liquid containing unit is provided above the second medium containing unit in such a way as to overlap with the first medium containing unit in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takamasa Ikagawa, Akinobu Nakahata
  • Patent number: 11958298
    Abstract: A liquid discharge method for a liquid discharge apparatus having a plurality of print modes includes determining and changing. The determining determines the print modes by a determiner. The changing changes, based on the print mode determined by the determiner, a use nozzle width and a discharge amount of a spot color head in a line feed direction such that a print mode having a low print speed has a narrower nozzle width and a larger discharge amount than a print mode having a high print speed by a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yosuke Saito, Atsushi Hada, Yuki Tsuchiya, Daisuke Mezaki
  • Patent number: 11958287
    Abstract: A cartridge that makes it possible to simultaneously set a printing tape and a cartridge in a tape printing device. A cartridge to be installed in a tape printing device includes: a cartridge case; a cartridge-side tape introduction port that introduces a printing tape introduced from a device-side tape introduction port into the cartridge case and a cartridge-side tape ejection port that ejects the printing tape to an outside of the cartridge case toward a device-side tape ejection port in a state in which the cartridge is installed in a cartridge installation part; and a tape retention part that retains the printing tape that is introduced in advance into a tape path between the cartridge-side tape introduction port and the cartridge-side tape ejection port before the cartridge is installed in the cartridge installation part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akio Ishimoto, Taishi Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11958293
    Abstract: In some examples, a fluid ejection die includes a plurality of nozzles arranged in a plurality of nozzle columns, the plurality of nozzle columns distributed across a width of the fluid ejection die in a staggered manner, wherein nozzles of each respective nozzle column of the plurality of nozzle columns are spaced apart along a length of the fluid ejection die, wherein the plurality of nozzle columns includes a first pair of neighboring nozzle columns that are spaced by a first distance across the width. The plurality of nozzle columns includes a second pair of neighboring nozzle columns that are spaced by a second distance across the width, the second distance being larger than the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Galen Cook, Garrett E Clark, Michael W Cumbie, James R Przybyla, Richard Seaver, Frank D Derryberry, Si-lam J Choy
  • Patent number: 11958297
    Abstract: Printing methods and devices identify distortable ink colors in a print job. These distortable ink colors interact with one another when printed in the same printing pass on the same area of a sheet. These methods and devices control printheads and sheet feeders to separately print the distortable ink colors in different print passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Seemit Praharaj, Douglas K. Herrmann
  • Patent number: 11951744
    Abstract: A switching mechanism includes a first rotating body that performs forward rotation and reverse rotation by receiving a driving force transmitted from a driving source; and a second rotating body having convex portions provided on an outer circumference at intervals. The first rotating body has an engagement portion configured to move along the outer circumference of the second rotating body. When the first rotating body rotates in a forward direction, engagement of the engagement portion with the convex portion causes rotation of the second rotating body in the forward direction together with the first rotating body. When the first rotating body rotates in a reverse direction, the engagement portion moves along the outer circumference of the second rotating body so that the second rotating body does not rotate in the reverse direction. A first interval, which is at least one of the intervals, is larger than other intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Koase
  • Patent number: 11951739
    Abstract: In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a fluidic die is described. The fluidic die includes a substrate and fluid actuators, the fluid actuators being disposed on the substrate. The fluidic die also includes a bond pad region defined on the substrate. The bond pad region includes a high aspect ratio power delivery bond pad with multiple bonding sites and a high aspect ratio power return bond pad with multiple bonding sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Eric Thomas Martin, Gary G. Lutnesky, James R. Przybyla, Rogelio Cicili
  • Patent number: 11938725
    Abstract: The N candidate timings Tc (I) from the first one to the N-th one which are arranged in chronological order with an interval of the cycle Cs in accordance with the transport speed V of the printing medium WP are set. When the I-th candidate timing Tc (I) is set outside the prohibition interval Pw with the (I?1)th output timing Td (I?1) as the starting point timing, the I-th candidate timing Tc (I) is determined as the I-th output timing Td (I). On the other hand, when the I-th candidate timing Tc (I) is set within the prohibition interval Pw with the (I?1)th output timing Td (I?1) as the starting point timing, a timing after the prohibition interval Pw is determined as the I-th output timing Td (I).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomoyasu Okushima
  • Patent number: 11932019
    Abstract: A wiping module includes a wiping portion and a cleaning portion. The wiping portion includes a wiping member wiping a liquid discharge head that discharges a liquid from a nozzle provided on a nozzle surface, a storage support portion supporting the wiping member and configured to store the liquid by the wiping, and a movement support portion mounting the storage support portion and configured to reciprocate along a wiping direction, which is a direction in which the wiping is performed. The cleaning portion cleans the wiping member. The cleaning portion includes a cleaning member and a guide portion guiding the cleaning member. The cleaning member is configured to follow a movement of the wiping portion in the wiping direction and to scrape off the liquid adhering to the wiping member while being guided by the guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Seiya Sato, Eiji Miyashita, Masaki Shimomura
  • Patent number: 11932035
    Abstract: There is provided a three-dimensional object printing apparatus including an imaging device fixed to a base and imaging an object located inside an imaging range, a first robot supporting a head having a nozzle for discharging a liquid and changing a position and a posture of the head, and a second robot supporting a three-dimensional workpiece and changes a position and a posture of the workpiece. The three-dimensional object printing apparatus performs a material feeding step of causing the second robot to move the workpiece from an outside to an inside of the imaging range, and a printing step of causing the head to discharge the liquid to the workpiece while at least one of the first robot and the second robot relatively moves the head and the workpiece inside the imaging range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomonaga Hasegawa, Yuichiro Matsuura, Masaru Kumagai, Shinichi Nakamura, Yuki Ishii
  • Patent number: 11932020
    Abstract: A liquid container includes: a case having a liquid introduction port through which liquid is introduced and a storage portion that stores the liquid; and an absorber stored in the case and configured to absorb the liquid. The absorber includes multiple absorbent resins that swell by absorbing the liquid and a substrate that supports the absorbent resins and allows the liquid to permeate therethrough. With the absorbent resins swelling by absorbing the ink, at least some of the absorbent resins are spaced apart from the adjacent absorbent resins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Kumagai, Shogo Nakada
  • Patent number: 11932018
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a nozzle surface, a supply port, a conveyance unit, a first moving device, a cap, a second moving device and a controller. The supply port supplies a cleaning liquid for cleaning the nozzle surface. The cap has a recessed part whose upper surface is opened and a discharge port through which the liquid dropped in the recessed part is discharged. The controller controls the first moving device to arrange the nozzle surface and the conveyance unit in a retreat position, then controls the second moving device to arrange the cap, the nozzle surface and the supply port in a covering position, then controls such that the cleaning liquid is discharged from the supply port to the cap, and then controls such that the ink is purged from the nozzle surface to the cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Ryo Matsuyama
  • Patent number: 11926158
    Abstract: The inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, a first conveyor belt, and an ink receiving part. The ink receiving part includes a discharge port, a liquid-absorptive rotator, and a counter member. The discharge port is placed at an end portion in a crossing direction crossing a recording-medium conveyance direction, and discharges ink received in flashing. The liquid-absorptive rotator is formed from a liquid-absorptive material and rotated around a rotating shaft extending in the crossing direction. The counter member, being in contact with the liquid-absorptive rotator, has a conveyance structure for conveying ink in the ink receiving part in a carry-out direction directed toward the discharge port along an axial direction of the rotating shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ueda
  • Patent number: 11926159
    Abstract: A control portion makes a recording head perform flushing processing every time a flushing area that does not overlap a recording medium faces the recording head but makes the recording head perform no flushing processing when a flushing area that at least in a part of it overlaps a recording medium faces the recording head. The longer a non-flashing period between the previous and present sessions of flushing processing, the larger the control portion makes the amount of ink ejected by each of nozzles in the present session of flushing processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Takeshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11926160
    Abstract: In an example, a surface inspection apparatus includes a light source to illuminate a portion of a surface in a print apparatus, a light detection apparatus and processing circuitry. The light detection apparatus may receive diffusely reflected light and specularly reflected light from the portion of the surface, and may comprise a detection element for detecting the specularly reflected light. The processing circuitry may comprise a comparison module to determine a relationship between an intensity of the detected diffusely reflected light and the detected specularly reflected light and a quality module to evaluate if the surface meets a quality criterion based on the relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Ana Cristina Garcia Alvarez, Maurizio Bordone, Alexander Jose Perez Garcia
  • Patent number: 11926146
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording unit, a conveyance unit, an application amount information acquisition unit, a determination unit, a direction information acquisition unit, and a setting unit. The recording unit performs recording by applying ink to paper. The application amount information acquisition unit acquires information related to an amount of ink that the recording unit applies to a predetermined region of the paper. The determination unit determines execution of prevention or reduction processing for preventing or reducing curling occurring after recording is performed. The determination is made according to the acquired amount of ink. The direction information acquisition unit acquires information indicating a paper grain direction of the paper relative to a conveyance direction in which the conveyance unit conveys the paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Asako Tomida, Norihiro Kawatoko, Masashi Hayashi, Kentaro Muro, Toshiaki Somano, Shuichi Tokuda
  • Patent number: 11919309
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus comprising: a discharge unit for performing recording processing in which a liquid is discharged onto a recording medium; a waste liquid containing unit for containing a waste liquid; a mount unit to which the waste liquid containing unit is mounted; a detection unit for detecting whether the waste liquid containing unit is mounted; and a control unit for controlling a discharge operation of a liquid from the discharge unit, wherein if the detection unit detects that the waste liquid containing unit is not mounted, the control unit controls not to perform the discharge operation, and the control unit performs a first recovery operation for restoring the discharge unit after the detection unit has detected that the waste liquid containing unit is not mounted, and before the next execution of the recording processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Narazaki, Kei Kosaka
  • Patent number: 11919322
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head is provided in which heat of a heat sink is less apt to transfer to a head body. The liquid discharge head includes a head body 2a having a discharge hole for discharging a liquid therethrough, a driver IC 93 configured to control driving of the head body 2a, a casing 91 which is disposed on the head body 2a and has openings 91a and 91b on a side surface of the casing, and a heat sink 90 which is disposed on the openings 91a and 91b of the casing 91 and configured to dissipate heat generated in the driver IC 93, and a thermal insulation part 91e disposed between the heat sink 90 and the head body 2a. This makes it possible to reduce the likelihood that the heat of the heat sink 91e transfers to the head body 2a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Corporation
    Inventor: Kenko Gejima