Patents Examined by Sharon Polk
  • Patent number: 11766867
    Abstract: Provided is a recording head cleaning device, a recording head cleaning method, and a recording device, with which a cleaning liquid from a nozzle is prevented from being mixed and a nozzle surface is cleaned. The problem is solved with a recording head cleaning device including a cleaning liquid holding unit that has a cleaning liquid holding surface, a cleaning liquid applying portion that applies a cleaning liquid to the cleaning liquid holding surface, a cleaning unit that cleans a nozzle surface of a recording head, in which a nozzle jetting an ink is disposed, with the cleaning liquid held by the cleaning liquid holding surface by making the cleaning liquid holding surface and the nozzle surface face each other, the nozzle surface with the cleaning liquid held by the cleaning liquid holding surface, and a back pressure control unit that sets a back pressure of the nozzle in a case of cleaning the nozzle surface to ?800 pascals to ?200 pascals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kazumasa Hattori
  • Patent number: 11745508
    Abstract: A printhead servicing system comprises a humidified air stream generator (10) to generate a humidified air stream; a humidified air stream channeling module (20) to channel the generated humidified air stream to a humidified air stream ejection module (30) to eject the humidified air stream towards a printhead nozzle plate (52a) of a printer (50); and a wiping module (40) to wipe a printhead nozzle plate (52a) of the printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Carlos Eduardo Caballero Diaz, Francesc Tarrida Tirado, Javier Deocon Mir
  • Patent number: 11738560
    Abstract: A head cap configured to maintain a head configured to discharge a liquid from nozzles formed in a nozzle surface, the head cap includes a cap configured to cap the nozzle surface of the head, and a holder holding the cap, the holder being detachably attachable to one of a carriage mounting the head and a guide configured to guide the carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Muneyuki Okeguchi
  • Patent number: 11731434
    Abstract: A printer includes a record section, a discharge section, a mount section, a movable rib, a move section, and a control section. The record section records on a sheet by ejecting an ink to the sheet. The discharge section discharges the sheet. The mount section has a mount surface on which the sheet discharged is mounted. A movable rib is configured to protrude from the mount surface and supports the sheet. The dimension of the movable rib in an A-direction is larger than the dimension thereof in a Y-direction. The move section moves the movable rib in a C-direction. The control section controls, based on temperature and humidity information, movement of the movable rib made by the move section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Takei
  • Patent number: 11731428
    Abstract: The invention relates to a capping unit (1) for capping at least one printhead (311.1, 311.2, 311.3, 321.1, 321.2, 321.3) of a printer (300), in particular an inkjet printer. The capping unit (1) includes a belt element (2.1, 2.2) having an elongated extent, wherein the belt element (2.1, 2.2) includes at least one flexible cap (3.1, 3.2) for capping the at least one printhead (311.1, 311.2, 311.3, 321.1, 321.2, 321.3), wherein the belt element (2.1, 2.2) features a resting setting and a capping setting and is displaceable from the resting setting to the capping setting and back. The belt element (2.1, 2.2) provides a self-stability section (5.1, 5.2) extending over at least a portion of the belt element (2.1, 2.2)'s elongated extent, wherein in the self-stability section (5.1, 5.2), the belt element (2.1, 2.2) is bendable in a movement plane (13.1, 13.2). In the capping setting, at all positions within the self-stability section (5.1, 5.2), a course of the elongated extent follows a straight line (14.1, 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: BOBST MEX SA
    Inventors: Roland Ruf, Dominik Job, Piero Pierantozzi
  • Patent number: 11724503
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes an ejecting head that ejects a liquid containing a humectant and water from a nozzle, a cap configured to form a closed space to which the nozzle opens, and a controller that controls the ejecting head, wherein the controller includes a calculation unit and a discharge controller, wherein the calculation unit calculates an available water amount of the liquid in the cap, and when the available water amount is smaller than a preset initial available water amount, the discharge controller discharges an amount of the liquid, where the amount includes, as the available water amount, an amount obtained by multiplying a difference between the available water amount and the initial available water amount by a predetermined coefficient larger than one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Midori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11712899
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a transport unit that transports a medium along a transport path, a liquid ejecting head that performs recording on the transported medium by ejecting liquid from a nozzle formed at a nozzle surface, a mounting portion on which a liquid storage portion for storing the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting head is mounted, and a first discharge port that delivers the medium on which the recording is performed toward a media processing apparatus that performs processing on the medium, in which the mounting portion is disposed at a position higher than the nozzle surface, and a first transport path which is a portion of the transport path from a position corresponding to the liquid ejecting head to the first discharge port passes above the mounting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nakamura, Izumi Nozawa
  • Patent number: 11701901
    Abstract: A vacuum belt conveyor sequentially delivers sheet articles to a digital printer. The sheets are held in position by vacuum on the underside of the sheets through apertures in the belt and covered by the sheets. A plurality of independent plenums on the underside of the belt have chambers respectively communicating with rows of apertures extending along the belt. Vacuum is selectively applied from a manifold only to the plenum chambers that supply apertures that are covered by the sheets so that the ink from the printer will not be directed from its intended position on the sheet by vacuum from adjacent uncovered belt apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Sun Automation, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Michael Hershfeld
  • Patent number: 11697286
    Abstract: A liquid discharging apparatus, having a head with nozzles, a scanning assembly, a conveyer, and a controller, is provided. The controller is configured to determine whether the nozzles are to be flushed in a moving action which accompanies a discharging action, if the controller determines the nozzles are not to be flushed in the moving action, conduct the moving action to move the head at a first acceleration rate; if the controller determines the nozzles are to be flushed in the moving action, determine whether a distance between a flushing range and a discharging range is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance; and if the controller determines the distance is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance, conduct the moving action to move the head at a second acceleration rate and control the head to discharge liquid for flushing the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Arakane, Yasuhiro Nakano, Shin Hasegawa, Shotaro Iida
  • Patent number: 11691446
    Abstract: Techniques for more accurately and efficiently replicating the alignment of one or more printer components with respect to another printer component are described herein. Replication may be achieved by using a fixture and a connection media to create a near exact replica of features of the fixture, or to temporarily hold multiple printer components in position while a joining layer of the connection media hardens. More specifically, a connection media, such as epoxy, can be used to fill an intentionally-established gap between connecting bodies or components that are held in a predetermined position by the replication fixture. The replication fixture represents a mechanical mounting interface that influences the position of a print head (or an array of print heads) within a printer housing or printing mechanism. Joining printer components in such a manner enables a stable mechanical coupling to be formed that does not require post operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING, INC.
    Inventor: John A. Weismantel
  • Patent number: 11685161
    Abstract: An ink tank for a liquid chemical discharging apparatus configured to prevent equipment failure and improve durability by preventing scattering and backflow of a liquid chemical is described. The ink tank for a liquid chemical discharging apparatus includes: a liquid chemical receiving portion in which a liquid chemical is stored; a liquid chemical discharge port configured to supply the liquid chemical to an inkjet head; a pressure control port configured to control pressure of the liquid chemical receiving portion; and a partition wall provided in the liquid chemical receiving portion and configured to partition the liquid chemical receiving portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SEMES Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Donghwa Lee, Daigeon Yoon, Jaeyong Choi, Sanguk Son, Kihoon Choi, Daesung Kim
  • Patent number: 11685166
    Abstract: A liquid residual-amount detecting device includes an optical sensor having a pair of a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion; and a plurality of liquid cartridges, each having a containing portion, a float disposed in the containing portion, and a light shielding portion displaced on a path that crosses an optical path of detection light in synchronization with displacement of the float, wherein the light shielding portions each having a size such that a light amount of the detection light, which the light receiving portion receives, cannot be made smaller than a predetermined light amount by alone; and wherein when the float is at a highest position, they are disposed to be aligned in a direction crossing the optical path so as to shield the optical path, and the light amount, which the light receiving portion receives, is made smaller than the predetermined light amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junji Terada
  • Patent number: 11679591
    Abstract: A printhead maintenance system includes: an elongate inkjet printhead having a nozzle face containing a plurality of inkjet nozzles; a carriage movable longitudinally along the printhead in a cleaning direction, the carriage including a maintenance member having: a fluid bath having a mouth opposing the nozzle face of the printhead, a primary fluid inlet at an upstream end of the fluid bath relative to the cleaning direction and a fluid outlet at a downstream end of the fluid bath relative to the cleaning direction; and a traversing mechanism for traversing the carriage longitudinally along the printhead in the cleaning direction. The maintenance member does not contact inkjet nozzles of the printhead, and the fluid bath is configured to provide a greater fluid velocity at the downstream end relative to the upstream end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Inventors: Zhenya Yourlo, Reza Behi
  • Patent number: 11679602
    Abstract: A deposition device is described. The deposition device has a substrate support and a laser imaging system disposed to image a portion of a substrate positioned on the substrate support. The laser imaging system comprises a laser source and an imaging unit, and is coupled to a deposition assembly disposed across the substrate support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Karl Mathia, Jesse Lu, Jerry Chang, Matt Audet, Stephen Baca, Vadim Mashevsky, David C. Darrow
  • Patent number: 11679590
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head which ejects liquid from a nozzle that is disposed on a nozzle surface, a first wiping portion which is able to wipe away the liquid that is adhered to the nozzle surface, and a second wiping portion which is able to hold the liquid that is adhered to the nozzle surface by contacting the nozzle surface, wherein it is possible to perform a first maintenance operation in which the nozzle surface is wiped using the first wiping portion and a second maintenance operation in which the second wiping portion is caused to contact the nozzle surface due to the second wiping portion being biased by the first wiping portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shigenori Nakagawa, Keiji Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 11679589
    Abstract: An information processing system includes a storage portion that stores a learned model obtained by performing machine learning on a maintenance condition for a print head based on a data set in which ink flow path inside information indicating a state of an ink flow path of the print head, nozzle surface image information obtained by photographing a nozzle plate surface of the print head, and maintenance information of the print head are associated with each other, an acquisition portion that acquires the ink flow path inside information and the nozzle surface image information, and a processing portion that outputs the maintenance information based on the acquired ink flow path inside information, the acquired nozzle surface image information, and the learned model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazunaga Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11678561
    Abstract: An ink printing process employs per-nozzle droplet volume measurement and processing software that plans droplet combinations to reach specific aggregate ink fills per target region, guaranteeing compliance with minimum and maximum ink fills set by specification. In various embodiments, different droplet combinations are produced through different print head/substrate scan offsets, offsets between print heads, the use of different nozzle drive waveforms, and/or other techniques. Optionally, patterns of fill variation can be introduced so as to mitigate observable line effects in a finished display device. The disclosed techniques have many other possible applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Nahid Harjee, Lucas D. Barkley, Christopher R. Hauf, Eliyahu Vronsky, Conor F. Madigan
  • Patent number: 11673393
    Abstract: A method of operating a printer supplies an ink solvent or mixture of ink solvents to porous members positioned adjacent printheads. The ink solvent or solvent mixture evaporates from the porous members to provide a solvent vapor environment in the vicinity of the nozzle plates of the printheads. The solvent vapor environment attenuates the evaporation of ink solvent from ink drops on the nozzle plates or from the ink in the nozzles of the printheads. Thus, the ink on the nozzle plates and in the nozzles does not dry out and the operational status of the inkjets is preserved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Varun Sambhy, Seemit Praharaj, Douglas K. Herrmann, Jason M. LeFevre, Chu-Heng Liu, Linn C. Hoover
  • Patent number: 11673394
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a flushing determination unit, and a storage unit, wherein the flushing determination unit is configured to: calculate a temporary return position, a temporary reciprocating movement time that is necessary when the carriage is returned at the temporary return position, and a threshold value that is a longest non-ejection time during which printing can be performed in a stable manner at an environmental temperature measured by a thermometer, based on print data to be printed in reciprocating movement of the carriage; and determine whether the temporary reciprocating movement time exceeds the threshold value, wherein when the temporary reciprocating movement time exceeds the threshold value, the flushing determination unit sets a position at which the one reciprocating movement time becomes longer than the temporary reciprocating movement time as a return position in the reciprocating movement, and determines to perform the flushing in a return path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Duc Hoang
  • Patent number: 11667136
    Abstract: A printing system comprises a printhead to eject a print fluid to a deposition region. Print media are held by vacuum suction against a movable support surface, which moves over a vacuum platen to transport the print media through the deposition region. The vacuum platen has platen holes through which the vacuum suction is communicated. Multiple vacuum plenums are provided to supply the vacuum suction to different groups of the platen holes. A first vacuum plenum is fluidically coupled to a first group of the platen holes located at least partially in the deposition region, and to a second group of platen holes located upstream of the first group. A second vacuum plenum is fluidically coupled to a third group of the platen holes comprising at least some platen holes located between the first and second groups of platen holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas K. Herrmann, Jason M. LeFevre, Chu-Heng Liu, Paul J. McConville, Seemit Praharaj