Patents Examined by Shelby Fidler
  • Patent number: 10150298
    Abstract: There is provided an ink-jet printer including: a conveyer, a recording head, an ink receiver, a communicating interface and a controller. Under a condition that the controller receives a preceding command, the controller is configured to execute a first flushing processing; and under a condition that an elapsed time, elapsed after completion of the first flushing processing and until receipt of a recording command is not less than a threshold time in a case that the controller receives the recording command, the controller is configured to execute a second flushing processing and a recording processing, whereas under a condition that the elapsed time is less than the threshold time, the controller is configured to execute the recording processing without executing the second flushing processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoru Arakane
  • Patent number: 10144219
    Abstract: In a liquid discharge head, a third discharge port array group C1 which discharges a liquid of cyan, a second discharge port array group M1 which discharges a liquid of magenta, a fourth discharge port array group G which discharges a liquid of gray, a first discharge port array group Y which discharges a liquid of yellow, a second discharge port array group M2 which discharges a liquid of magenta, a third discharge port array group C2 which discharges a liquid of cyan are arranged in this order, in a direction. Each of discharge port arrays of the fourth discharge port array group G is formed of a plurality of discharge ports having a diameter smaller than that of a plurality of discharge ports which constitute first discharge port arrays of the second and third discharge port array groups C1, C2, M1 and M2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sayaka Seki, Yuichiro Akama, Yuji Tamaru, Naoko Tsujiuchi
  • Patent number: 10131139
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid discharging apparatus configured to discharge liquid, including: a liquid discharging head including a driving element; a driving device configured to drive the driving element; a power unit; a switch configured to perform switching of voltage supply; and a controller. When the power unit is switched on, the controller causes a power supply voltage of the power unit to be raised up to a first voltage while checking the power supply voltage; and the controller controls the switch to start the voltage supply from the power unit to the driving device while the power supply voltage is being raised up to the first voltage; and under a condition that the voltage supply is started while the power supply voltage is being raised up to the first voltage, the controller controls the driving device to apply the voltage to the driving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toru Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10131162
    Abstract: Provided is a light illuminating apparatus for irradiating light of a line shape extending in a first direction and having a line width in a second direction. The light illuminating apparatus includes light emitting units, each including a substrate, light sources arranged at an interval along the first direction on the substrate and placed such that a direction of an optical axis is matched to a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface, and optical devices placed on optical paths of each light source to shape light from each light source into light with a predetermined divergence angle, wherein the light emitting units are arranged on an arc having its center at the irradiation position when viewed in the first direction, and an irradiation width in the second direction of light from the light emitting units is approximately equal within a preset range in a direction perpendicular to the irradiation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: HOYA CANDEO OPTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutaka Shito
  • Patent number: 10124606
    Abstract: This invention is about a digital printing method of cover sheet of a flexible material of required features of density, flexibility and thickness. This method includes steps of printing a cover sheet of woven or non-woven fabric, by using digital or computerized printing techniques, either direct printing or by transfer paper printing or sublimation printing technique. The printed side of the cover sheet is laminated or coated with a clear film of flexible transparent material like polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyethylene or polyvinylchloride. This laminated or sealed printed and coated cover sheet may be fixed to different fabric, foam or of outer surface layer of an article at which printing is required. The said article may be sport's good, sport's wears, dresses, footwear, furniture covering sheets and vehicle items covers etc. The novel method of making cover sheet enables customized printing at required articles at user request with many design printing possibilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Inventors: Nouman Idris Butt, Michiko Yoshida Mariam Siddiqa
  • Patent number: 10124585
    Abstract: A liquid discharge head includes an actuator substrate and a holding substrate. The actuator substrate includes a plurality of individual liquid chambers and a plurality of pressure generating elements. The plurality of individual liquid chambers is communicated with a plurality of nozzles to discharge liquid. The plurality of pressure generating elements is arrayed to pressurize liquid in the plurality of individual liquid chambers. The holding substrate includes a plurality of recessed portions to accommodate the plurality of pressure generating elements. The holding substrate is bonded to the actuator substrate with an adhesive. The holding substrate has a plurality of openings as a plurality of channels communicating the plurality of individual liquid chambers with a common liquid chamber to supply liquid to the plurality of individual liquid chambers. At least one corner of each of the plurality of openings at least partially has a curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Masuda, Keisuke Hayashi, Keishi Miwa
  • Patent number: 10118400
    Abstract: A liquid ejection system of this invention includes a mechanism unit that can change the relative position of a medium relative to a liquid ejection head capable of ejecting a liquid, and a liquid storage container having a liquid storage portion capable of storing the liquid that is to be supplied to the liquid ejection head. A liquid injection portion that enables injection of the liquid into the liquid storage portion is provided in the liquid storage container. In an orientation in which the liquid injection portion faces a direction upward relative to the horizontal direction, in a plan view of the mechanism unit from vertically above, at least a portion of the liquid storage container excluding the liquid injection portion is overlapped with the region of the mechanism unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Igarashi, Kazuhisa Kawakami, Katsumi Yamada, Yasuhiro Taguchi, Eiko Yanagida
  • Patent number: 10112400
    Abstract: An ink cartridge for an inkjet printer includes a bottom face and a front face; an ink interface on the front face of the ink cartridge for connection to a cartridge receiving structure; a guide interface in the bottom face for guiding the cartridge along a straight line during insertion into the cartridge receiving structure for connecting the ink interface; a latch track disposed in the bottom face of the ink cartridge to guide a latch of the cartridge receiving structure; a latch stop disposed in the latch track for engaging the latch, where the latch track comprises a locking track and an unlocking track to accommodate movement of the latch with respect to the latch stop, the locking track being at least partly separate from the unlocking track; and a latch guide for redirecting the latch towards the locking track, rather than the unlocking track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David C. Harvey, Curt Gonzales, Ralph L. Stathem, David Olsen, David Welter
  • Patent number: 10112389
    Abstract: In a common chamber (102) for distributing, to respective pressure chambers (211), an ink supplied from the ink inlet (101), resistant walls (111) are provided in areas that are located ahead and behind of the flow of the ink, i.e., areas around inlets of flow channels (221) that lead to respective pressure chambers (211), and any resistance against the flow of the ink is generated according to the heights of the resistant walls (111), thereby capturing a solid ingredient (150) included in the ink. In this case, by adjusting the heights of the resistant walls (111) to control capabilities of introducing the solid ingredient (150), it becomes possible to dispense desired amounts of the solid ingredient (150) to the respective pressure chamber (211).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Yamamoto, Kazuki Fukada, Tohru Nakagawa, Kazunobu Irie, Takeshi Kita, Hidehiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10093091
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes: a plurality of pressure generating chambers communicating with nozzles through which a liquid is ejected; a manifold communicating with the plurality of pressure generating chambers; a flexible member that has a surface on one side which defines at least a part of a wall of the manifold, that has a surface on the other side, on which an adhesive layer is formed, and that has a compliance region, which is able to perform deflection in response to pressure fluctuation in the manifold, in a region in which the adhesive layer is formed; a compliance space disposed on a side opposite to the manifold through the flexible member; a cap member facing the flexible member through the compliance space; and a frame-like member that is disposed between the flexible member and the cap member and has a cantilever, in which the cantilever is fixed to at least a part of the flexible member of the compliance region and has an unfixed region which is not fixed to the cap member on the distal end
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiro Kanegae
  • Patent number: 10093092
    Abstract: By appropriately defining a flow path capacity from an opening of an ink supply path to a nozzle in a pressure chamber, a progress of thickening ink toward the pressure chamber is suppressed. In other words, by setting the individual flow path capacity to be large, specifically, to 4400 pl or higher, desirably 6210 pl or higher, it is possible to suppress the progress of the thickening of the ink even in a small-sized liquid ejecting head of which the shortest formation pitch between each of the nozzles is 1/300 inches. More specifically, a nozzle communication opening is provided between the pressure chamber and the nozzle, and a total capacity of the nozzle communication opening and the pressure chamber is configured to be 4400 pl or higher, desirably 6210 pl or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shunya Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10086623
    Abstract: A device for circulating an ink supply to at least one inkjet print head includes at least two components that are different than the inkjet print head and through which ink flows, such as a pump and a valve for the ink. At least one ink line is connected between the components. At least one section of the ink line is embodied as a channel in a plate. The device advantageously has a compact construction and is easy to clean and service. The device has a high degree of reliability since the number of hose lines is advantageously reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Hans-Juergen Ratjen, Joerg-Achim Fischer, Claudia Harbs, Ingmar Nitsch
  • Patent number: 10081206
    Abstract: A printing system comprises a sub-frame (5), a print module (8) with printheads (27), a first support unit (30) that is connected to the sub-frame (5), in particular movable in a displacement direction (z) relative to the sub-frame, a substrate holder (2) for supporting a substrate (3), and a positioning mechanism for moving the print module relative to the first support unit to and from a print position. A set of positioning parts (34-36) and positioning references (14-16) is provided that form part of or are connected to the print module (8) respectively the sub-frame (5). The positioning parts (34-36) are engageable with corresponding ones of the positioning references (14-16) for aligning the print module (8) relative to the sub-frame (5) when moved into its print position. The positioning mechanism comprises one or more four-bar linkage mechanisms (32) acting between the print module (8) and the first support unit (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: SPGPrints B.V.
    Inventor: Peter Klein Meuleman
  • Patent number: 10082760
    Abstract: According to one example, there is provided a method of printing. The method comprises generating a gloss modification image based on a substrate gloss level and a desired gloss level for a portion of the image, and printing the image and the gloss modification image on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: HP Indigo B.V.
    Inventors: Eyal Bodinger, Itzik Shaul, George Trendafilov, Gilad Greenberg
  • Patent number: 10071574
    Abstract: A printer comprises a housing which is composed of a box-shaped main body section with an opening on one surface thereof and a cover for opening and closing the opening of the main body section and forming a paper discharge port between the cover and the main body section at the time the cover is located at a position to close the opening; a storage section houses a roll paper; a printing section carries out printing on the paper; a cutter which has a cutting edge used to cut the paper; a support section which supports the cutter in a manner of freely moving between a use position at the time of cutting the paper by the cutting edge and a non-use position close to an edge of the paper discharge port with respect to the use position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Kitahara
  • Patent number: 10071572
    Abstract: A platen includes: a supporting portion that can support a sheet; a suction unit that sucks the sheet in such a manner as to attach the sheet to the supporting portion; a first ink receiver that receives ink ejected downstream of the leading end of the sheet passing the supporting portion; and a second ink receiver that receives ink ejected upstream of the trailing end of the sheet passing the supporting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuji Kurata, Seiji Ogasawara, Masakazu Tsukuda, Takahide Onuma, Yasunori Saito, Arihito Miyakoshi, Masahiko Kubota, Yusuke Imahashi, Nobuhito Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Arimizu, Yoshinori Itoh
  • Patent number: 10052887
    Abstract: Serpentine microwave dryers and a method of fabricating same are disclosed. The serpentine microwave dryers utilize microwave waveguides that includes passages through a short axis of the microwave waveguides that are sized to pass a continuous-form print medium. A long axis of the microwave waveguides are positioned across a width of a media path of the continuous-from print medium. Electromagnetic energy transported along the microwave waveguides is used to dry wet colorants applied to the continuous-form print medium. At least one of the microwave waveguides has an offset from other microwave waveguides that is perpendicular to the media path of the continuous-form print medium. The offset reduces an attenuation of the electromagnetic energy in microwave waveguide(s) that are offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Andrew David Norte
  • Patent number: 10040295
    Abstract: A liquid supply device that supplies a liquid to a head that ejects the liquid to an object includes a liquid storage chamber, an air introduction port, an atmospheric release flow path where one end is in communication with the air introduction port and another end is open to the atmosphere, and an air storage chamber configured to store air and provided in a portion of the atmospheric release flow path. A liquid supply flow path that supplies the liquid from the liquid storage chamber to the head is formed in a wall defining the air storage chamber. Thus, the size of a liquid ejection system is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shoma Kudo, Munehide Kanaya, Naomi Kimura
  • Patent number: 10040284
    Abstract: A discharge element substrate comprises a plurality of discharge elements each including a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact, a plurality of driving circuits arranged in a first direction and each connected to the plurality of discharge elements, and a plurality of driving wiring lines extending in a second direction that intersects with the first direction and configured to connect the plurality of driving circuits and the first electrical contact of the plurality of discharge elements. A length, in the second direction, of a first driving wiring line connecting the first driving circuit and the first electrical contact of the first discharge element is shorter than a length, in the second direction, of a second driving wiring line connecting the second driving circuit and the first electrical contact of the second discharge element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasuo Fujii
  • Patent number: 10040658
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a print section configured to perform printing on a first side of a medium and then perform printing on a second side that is a back side of the first side, a supply path configured to supply the medium toward the print section, a feeding roller configured to feed the medium along the supply path from an upstream side to a downstream side in a transport direction, a toothed roller provided on the downstream side of the feeding rollers in the transport direction, a drive source configured to rotate the feeding roller and the toothed roller, and a controller configured to control driving of the drive source. The controller performs rotation control for rotating the feed rollers prior to the rotation of the toothed roller with which the medium has collided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Maeda