Patents Examined by Shelby l Fidler
-
Patent number: 11040532Abstract: An inkjet printer is provided. Inclined surfaces of a first protrusion and a second protrusion of a first inkjet head and inclined surfaces of side walls of a head cap abut against each other, but other portions of the first inkjet head do not abut against the head cap. Specifically, the head cap 510 is not abutted against the lower surface 133 of the first inkjet head 130, and is also not abutted against the ejection surfaces 134A and 135A of the first protrusion 134 and the second protrusion 135. In particular, the side walls are formed to a shape so as not to overlap the ejection surfaces when viewed in the vertical direction, whereby the head cap does not abut against the ejection surfaces.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2019Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.Inventor: Sho Koshiba
-
Patent number: 11044383Abstract: A method of printing using a print head comprising first and second print arrays, each comprising a plurality of nozzles. Each of the first print array nozzles emits a droplet of a first volume and each of the second print array nozzles emits a droplet of a second volume, wherein the first volume is less than the second volume. The method comprises: a. receiving image data comprising a received tone value for a pixel; b. selecting one of the print arrays corresponding to the pixel location; c. mapping the received tone value to a mapped tone value using a tone mapping for the selected print array; d. comparing the mapped tone value with a threshold value for the location of the pixel; and e. generating a control signal for the selected print array if the mapped tone value corresponds to the threshold value in a predetermined manner.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2018Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: FFEI LimitedInventors: Martin Philip Gouch, Jacqueline Margaret Deane
-
Patent number: 11034148Abstract: A liquid-ejecting-apparatus includes a nozzle that ejects liquid; a pressure-chamber-communicating with the nozzle; a pressure-change-portion that changes a pressure of the liquid in the pressure-chamber; and a controller that controls the pressure-change-portion. The controller executes first control of decreasing the pressure of the liquid in the pressure-chamber, hence pulling a center portion of a meniscus of the liquid in the nozzle toward the pressure-chamber, and forming a liquid-membrane with the liquid at an inner-wall-surface of the nozzle; and second control of, in a state in which the liquid-membrane is formed at the inner-wall-surface of the nozzle, increasing the pressure of the liquid in the pressure-chamber, hence inverting a shape of the center portion of the meniscus to a protruding shape protruding toward an opening of the nozzle and forming a liquid-column, and further, ejecting the liquid-column so as not to contact the liquid-membrane.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2019Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Inventor: Keigo Sugai
-
Patent number: 11020961Abstract: A control method of a liquid ejection apparatus including a liquid ejection head, a cap configured to seal a nozzle formation surface, and an ejection failure detector which performs a detection operation of detecting ejection failure of a nozzle, the control method including starting a vibration operation of continuously vibrating the liquid in the nozzle, after a liquid ejection operation is completed, starting the detection operation before a relative moving operation of relatively moving the liquid ejection head and the cap so as to face each other is completed, and stopping the vibration operation after the detection operation.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2019Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Fumiya Takino
-
Patent number: 11007797Abstract: An aqueous ink printer includes two drying stages that enable coated substrates to be printed with aqueous ink images. The first drying stage dries substrates uniformly in the cross-process direction and the second drying stage dries substrates non-uniformly in the cross-process direction to enable only predetermined portions of the printed substrates to be dried. The predetermined portions of the printed substrates are aligned in a process direction with nip rollers or other printer components that engage the substrates after the substrates exit the second drying stage.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2019Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Chu-Heng Liu, Douglas K. Herrmann, Paul J. McConville, Jason M. LeFevre, Seemit Praharaj
-
Patent number: 11010647Abstract: An inkjet recording device including: a recorder; a mover; and a hardware processor, wherein a pair of recording heads having recording elements in overlapping arrangement ranges in a width direction are at positions different in one movement direction orthogonal to the width direction, ink changes the phase to a solid in a time shorter than a difference between times when the ink adheres to a same position in the one movement direction, the hardware processor performs recording control of causing a selected recording element to perform an output operation to each position in the one movement direction and determines an execution order of output operations such that the output operation by each of downstream-side recording elements is performed twice or more continuously and at least a part of the output operations by upstream-side recording elements is not continuous.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2018Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.Inventor: Toshiyuki Mizutani
-
Patent number: 11001071Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a pair of electrodes disposed on a first surface of a substrate forming part of a flow path for a liquid. The electrodes of the pair of electrodes are adjacent to each other in a transverse direction of the electrodes, and the liquid moves in the transverse direction upon application of a voltage across the electrodes. The electrodes each include a ridge portion disposed on the first surface and an electrode wiring line connected to a power source for applying the voltage. The electrode wiring line covers an upper surface of the ridge portion and side surfaces of the ridge portion and extends from parts covering the side surfaces of the ridge portion to a downstream side and an upstream side with respect to a direction in which the liquid moves, so as to cover the first surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2019Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Takashi Sugawara, Masafumi Morisue, Yoshiyuki Nakagawa, Kazuhiro Yamada, Takuro Yamazaki, Ryo Kasai, Tomoko Kudo
-
Patent number: 10994528Abstract: Methods for printing using printing systems comprising a flexible intermediate transfer member (ITM) disposed around a plurality of guide rollers at which encoders are installed, and an image-forming station at which ink images are formed by droplet deposition by print bars onto the ITM, can include measuring a local velocity of the ITM under one of the print bars, determining a stretch factor for a portion of the ITM based on a relationship between an estimated stretched length fixed physical distance between print bars, controlling an ink deposition parameter according to the stretch factor so as to compensate for stretching of the reference portion of the ITM.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2019Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignee: LANDA CORPORATION LTD.Inventor: Vitaly Burkatovsky
-
Patent number: 10974520Abstract: In an image processing device, a controller is configured to perform: selecting; generating; and outputting. The selecting selects a target partial image one by one from a plurality of partial images. The target partial image is represented by target partial image data. The generating generates partial print data for a partial print by executing an image process on the target partial image data. The partial print forms the target partial image while moving a print head in a printing direction. The partial print forms the target partial image while moving a print head in a printing direction. The image process includes a color conversion process. The color conversion process is executed on the target partial image data using one of a first profile and a second profile selected in accordance with the printing direction set for the partial print. The outputting outputs the partial print data to the printer.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2019Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masashi Kuno, Shota Morikawa, Satoru Arakane
-
Patent number: 10967655Abstract: There is provided a printer including a motor configured to convey a medium and a processor configured to control the motor. The processor acquires a signal corresponding to a counterelectromotive force of the motor and performs predetermined processing based on the acquired signal.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2019Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Katsuo Takeuchi
-
Patent number: 10960667Abstract: An electronic device includes a switching element, a first common-electrode wiring, at least a part of the first common-electrode wiring being covered with the switching element, a plurality of second common-electrode wirings branched from the part of the first common-electrode wiring covered with the switching element, a plurality of individual power-output terminals arranged in a row in the switching element, and a plurality of individual-electrode wirings arranged in a row, the plurality of individual-electrode wirings being connected to the plurality of individual power-output terminals, respectively. Each of the plurality of second common-electrode wirings is disposed between the plurality of individual-electrode wirings.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2019Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventor: Hitoshi Kida
-
Patent number: 10953659Abstract: A printing apparatus that replenishes ink by exchanging an exchange ink tank includes a code reader for inputting ink information representing an ink type, a float sensor for detecting that the exchange ink tank has changed to an empty state, and a main controller. The main controller determines that the exchange ink tank can be exchanged if the float sensor detects that the exchange ink tank is in the empty state, and if first ink information associated with the exchange ink tank and second ink information associated with an installation location of the exchange ink tank, which are input by the code reader, are compared, and it is determined that the first ink information and the second ink information are compatible.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yuriko Harai
-
Patent number: 10953670Abstract: When the length of a label created by cutting a print medium with print data printed thereon is insufficient, a printing device is prevented from omitting cutting processing. A printing device 1 includes a printing unit 106 which prints out print data on a tape 42 as a print medium, a cutting unit 107 which cuts the tape 42 with the print data printed thereon, a determination unit 108 which determines whether the length of a label to be cut by the cutting unit 107 is e more than a threshold value, and a control unit 101 which, when the determination unit 108 determines that the length is less than or equal to the threshold value, adjusts the length of the label so that the length of the tape 42 will be a length more than the threshold value.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.Inventor: Hajime Katou
-
Patent number: 10946663Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus is provided capable of attaching and detaching of a print head with a mechanism that is easily operable and simple, while preventing an erroneous operation. For the purpose, it is configured so that the press/release for the print head is possible along with movement of the joint member. Further, when the joint member is connected, the connection of the joint member is performed after pressing the print head, and when the connection of the joint member is released, the pressure on the print head is released after releasing the connection of the joint member.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2019Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Atsushi Kohnotoh
-
Patent number: 10940603Abstract: A label processing apparatus including a head configured to cause a wire pin to move toward and away from a label medium for performing processing on the label medium, a first wall member located at a position in a first direction from the transport path surface including a first communication hole communicating with outside, and a fan configured to blow air onto a ventilation region including a region located at the head side of the first surface in the transport direction, and to then cause the air to be discharged to the outside through the first communication hole.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2018Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Hiroyuki Masubuchi
-
Patent number: 10940691Abstract: An inkjet printer adjusts operation of a vacuum system coupled to a printhead to compensate for pressure changes in the manifold of the printhead caused by vertical displacement of the printhead within the printer. The inkjet printer includes a controller that determines either a difference between an optimal pressure in the manifold and a current pressure to operate a vacuum coupled to the manifold for pressure adjustment or it correlates a current printhead vertical position to a previously observed vertical position and uses a vacuum value associated with the previously observed vertical position to operate the vacuum.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2019Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Marc D. Daniels, Husein Naser Rashed, Roger G. Leighton, Kelly J. Burton
-
Patent number: 10926541Abstract: An example printing device include a frame, a printbar, a lift mechanism, and a lock. The lift mechanism is operably coupled to move the printbar from a printing position to a capping position along a printbar path of travel with respect to the frame. The lock is operably coupled to the frame to releasably engage the printbar in the capping position and disengage the printbar and permit movement to the printing position.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2016Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Kenneth R Williams, Matt G Driggers
-
Patent number: 10913268Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a chip including a nozzle, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to perform printing on a medium by applying to the chip a predetermined voltage using a first driving waveform for discharging a small dot, judge, based on a density and a target density of the dot printed on the medium, whether the target density is attainable by a voltage change within an adjustable voltage range, and determine, in a case where the target density is not attained even when a voltage of an upper limit value of the adjustable voltage range is applied using the first driving waveform, an actual voltage to be used during final printing, with the driving waveform being changed over to a second driving waveform for discharging a large dot.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2019Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Naoki Kayahara
-
Patent number: 10906322Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a container on which a liquid container is removably mounted, the container having an engaging portion, the liquid container containing a liquid and having a grip portion that is gripped by a user; an attachment portion into which the container is inserted in an attachment direction from an attachment port and to which the container is attached; and a liquid ejecting head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid container mounted at the container. The attachment portion has an engaged portion that is engaged with the engaging portion of the container in a process of pulling out the container from the attachment portion. The container causes the grip portion to be located on an outer side with respect to the attachment port when the container is in an engaged state in which the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2019Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Nanami Sakai, Masato Haga, Masaki Shimomura
-
Patent number: 10899135Abstract: An ink bottle is mounted in a DOD printer with the ink bottle acting as an ink supply reservoir that supplies ink to a DOD print head. A unique cap is provided that is configured to be affixed to an end of the ink bottle via threads or the like. The cap can be provided with one or more mechanical keying features used to limit mounting of the cap and the bottle assembly to a correct receiver in the DOD printer. The cap can also be provided with a valve controlled ink passage that allows ink to flow out of the bottle through the cap and a valve controlled vent passage that allows air to enter the bottle through the cap.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2018Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: ENTRUST CORPORATIONInventors: Kyle Johnson, Randy Jordan, Brian O'Dell, Daniel Sarkinen