Patents Examined by Shih-Wen Hsieh
  • Inkjet image forming apparatus having a capping unit
    Patent number: 7686418
    Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus includes an inkjet head having a nozzle unit having a length in a main scanning direction corresponding to a width of a printing medium, a capping unit to move to a capping position to cap the nozzle unit and an uncapping position for a printing. The capping unit includes a cap member having a spitting hole and covering the nozzle unit, an absorbing member to absorb an ink passing through the spitting hole, and a support member disposed at a position where the cap member and the absorbing member are installed, the support member receiving the ink spitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dong-woo Ha
  • Droplet jetting applicator and method of manufacturing coated body
    Patent number: 7677691
    Abstract: A droplet jetting applicator includes: a droplet jetting head which freely moves and includes a nozzle surface with a plurality of nozzles formed, from which droplets are jetted; a suction section which sucks the droplets jetted by the droplet jetting head from a facing position facing the nozzle surface; a support/transfer section which supports the suction section, freely moves together with the droplet jetting head, and moves the supported suction section to the facing position and a non-facing position which is apart from the facing position; and an exhaust section which evacuates the suction section to give the suction section a suction force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Atsushi Kinase, Hiroshi Koizumi
  • Removing member and image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 7673964
    Abstract: A removing member for use in an image forming apparatus removes foreign materials from a nozzle face of a discharge head provided in the image forming apparatus. The removing member includes a base material, and fine particles disposed to the base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Juichi Furukawa
  • Inkjet recording apparatus
    Patent number: 7673986
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a belt transporting apparatus, a nip roller nipping a recording medium in cooperation with an outer peripheral face of a transport belt at a predetermined position, a nip-roller moving mechanism, an inkjet head, an applying unit which applies cleaning fluid to the outer peripheral face, a blade which is in contact with the outer peripheral face on a downstream side of a position where the cleaning fluid is applied to the outer peripheral face to scrape off the cleaning fluid and ink that adhere to the outer peripheral face, a travel controlling unit which controls the transport belt driving unit to cause the transport belt to travel, and a nip-roller movement controlling unit which causes the nip roller to be contacted with the outer peripheral face after an initial contact place passes the predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhisa Nakashima
  • Driving module utilized for driving a print head maintenance station
    Patent number: 7673962
    Abstract: A driving module utilized for driving a print head maintenance station. The print head maintenance station includes a capper and a wiper. The driving module includes: a first rotation unit having a first surface corresponding to a first profile; a second rotation unit having a second surface corresponding to a second profile; a first connection module for moving the capper according to the first profile of the first rotation unit; a second connection module for moving the wiper according to the second profile of the second rotation unit; a transfer module coupled to the first connection module and the second connection module; and a motor coupled to the transfer module for driving the first and second rotation units to rotate simultaneously according to the transfer module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Chi-Chun Lee
  • Capping sheet and liquid jet apparatus
    Patent number: 7669962
    Abstract: A capping sheet that seals a nozzle surface of a liquid jet head having a liquid jet nozzle that ejects liquid onto a target, the capping sheet includes: a sheet body including an opposite surface facing the nozzle surface of the liquid jet head, the sheet body being provided separately from a capping-sheet carrying mechanism that carries the sheet body from a non-capping position where the opposite surface does not face the nozzle surface to a capping position where the opposite surface faces the nozzle surface; and on the opposite surface, a sealing part that seals the nozzle surface with a sealed space therebetween if the capping sheet is carried to the capping position by the capping-sheet carrying mechanism and relatively moved in a way that the opposite surface comes close to the nozzle surface at the capping position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Matsuhashi, Nobuhito Takahashi
  • Printhead cartridge comprising integral printhead maintenance station with maintenance roller
    Patent number: 7669958
    Abstract: A printhead cartridge for an inkjet printer is provided. The cartridge is removably receivable in the printer. The cartridge comprises: (a) a printhead; (b) an ink delivery system for supplying ink to the printhead; and (c) a maintenance station for maintaining the printhead in an operable condition. The maintenance station comprises a maintenance roller having an elastically deformable contact surface and an ink removal system for removing ink from the contact surface when the maintenance roller is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: John Douglas Peter Morgan, Vesa Karppinen, Akira Nakazawa, Patrick John McAuliffe, Kia Silverbrook
  • Droplet ejection device
    Patent number: 7669959
    Abstract: A droplet ejection device includes a droplet ejection head, a conveyance member, a cleaning unit and a coating unit. The droplet ejection head ejects droplets. The conveyance member retains a recording medium and conveys the recording medium to oppose the droplet ejection head. The cleaning unit cleans the conveyance member. The coating unit applies a coating liquid, with a characteristic of repelling the liquid that is ejected from the droplet ejection head, onto the conveyance member. A surface tension ?o of the coating liquid, a critical surface tension ?b of the conveyance member, and a surface tension ?i of the liquid that is ejected from the droplet ejection head satisfy the following equations (1) and (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Sekimoto, Koichi Saitoh, Hiroaki Satoh, Susumu Kibayashi, Satoshi Mohri, Toru Nishida
  • Method of removing flooded ink from a printhead using a rotating roller
    Patent number: 7669957
    Abstract: A method of removing particulates from an ink ejection face of a printhead is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) flooding the face with ink from the printhead, thereby dispersing the particulates into the flooded ink; and (b) transferring the flooded ink, including the particulates, onto a transfer surface moving past the face. Damage to the face is avoided since the transfer surface does not contact the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Vesa Karppinen, Jonathan Mark Bulman, Kia Silverbrook
  • Liquid ejection apparatus
    Patent number: 7665820
    Abstract: A printer functioning as a liquid ejection apparatus includes a recording head having nozzles, a flushing sheet feeding mechanism, and a cleaning mechanism. The flushing sheet feeding mechanism feeds a flushing sheet for absorbing ink, which is ejected from the nozzles, from a non-flushing position separated from the recording head to a flushing position facing the recording head and from the flushing position to the non-flushing position during flushing. The cleaning mechanism removes the ink absorbed in the flushing sheet after flushing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kunihiko Matsuhashi
  • Liquid discharging apparatus and control method therefor
    Patent number: 7665823
    Abstract: In a liquid discharging apparatus for discharging droplets from a liquid discharge nozzle to a discharge object to be discharged and in a method for controlling the liquid discharging apparatus, cleaning effects for the ink discharge nozzle and the adjacent areas can be enhanced, and the time required for a series of performance maintaining operations can be reduced. The apparatus includes a platen plate for supporting recording paper as the discharge object, defining a positional relationship between the discharge object and the liquid discharge head, and receiving the droplets discharged from the liquid discharge head. Ink droplets are preliminarily discharged from the ink discharge nozzle to the platen plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Yakura, Kenji Suzuki, Takanori Takahashi
  • Liquid recovery containers and liquid ejection apparatus
    Patent number: 7661790
    Abstract: First, second, and third ink absorbing bodies are accommodated in a container of a recovery reservoir in this order from the side corresponding to a bottom surface of the container, so that an introduction chamber is defined in the middle of a recovery space. A lid having a shutter plate and a communication hole is located over the third ink absorbing body. The upper side of the introduction chamber is covered by the shutter plate to suppress volatilization of solvent element of waste ink introduced into the introduction chamber. In addition, the communication hole is located in a portion of the upper surface of the third ink absorbing body, so that solvent element of ink absorbed by the third ink absorption body volatilizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shuhei Harada, Keiji Matsumoto, Manabu Yamada
  • Method of using a flexible circuit
    Patent number: 7658470
    Abstract: A method of using a flexible circuit, including attaching a first portion of the flexible circuit, via an attaching surface of the flexible circuit, to a first surface of a chip carrier. Statically bending a bending portion of the flexible circuit around an edge formed at the intersection of the first surface of the chip carrier, and a second surface of the chip carrier. Adhesively attaching a second portion of the flexible circuit, via the attaching surface, to the second surface of the chip carrier, where the second portion of the flexible circuit has at least one first anchor structure formed in the attaching surface, where the at least one first anchor structure is adapted to accept an adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Brian Jones, Robert Weber, Cary G Addington, Si-Lam Choy
  • Inkjet head clean device for inkjet printer
    Patent number: 7654632
    Abstract: An inkjet head clean device for inkjet printer includes a main body, a pump, a first guide-tube and a second guide-tube. The main body has a tank for receiving cleansing liquid. The pump that sets in the main body has a first pipe-hole and a second pipe-hole. One end of the first guide-tube connects with the first pipe-hole of the pump and another end extends into the tank. One end of the second guide-tube connects with the second pipe-hole of the pump and another end connects with an inkjet head. By the way, the clean device of present invention can wash the inkjet head by reusing the cleansing liquid and make the inkjet head clean.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Inventor: Jack Chen
  • Printhead maintenance station comprising maintenance roller and ink removal system
    Patent number: 7648222
    Abstract: A printhead maintenance station for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The maintenance station comprises a maintenance roller having an elastically deformable contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of the printhead. The roller is rotatable and moveable between a first position in which the contact surface is sealingly engaged with the face and a second position in which the contact surface is disengaged from face. An ink removal system removes ink from the contact surface when the maintenance roller is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: John Douglas Peter Morgan, Vesa Karppinen, Patrick John McAuliffe, Kia Silverbrook
  • Method and device for spray cleaning an inkjet print head
    Patent number: 7645021
    Abstract: A device spray cleans an inkjet print head. The purpose of the device is to avoid the formation of stalagmites during spray cleaning and therefore also to improve the print quality as a result of the fact that the transport device for the print carriers or items of mail is soiled as little as possible. This is achieved by a relative movement of a baffle element in a flat space or in a plane parallel to the nozzle surface of the at least one inkjet print head in conjunction with the spray cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventors: Olaf Turner, Wolfgang Muhl
  • Printhead maintenance system comprising foaming system and foam transport assembly
    Patent number: 7641304
    Abstract: A printhead maintenance system for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition is provided. The maintenance system comprises: (a) a printhead having an ink ejection face; (b) a foaming system for providing a liquid foam on the face; and (c) a foam transport assembly comprising: a transfer surface for receiving the foam or a collapsed foam from the face and a transport mechanism for feeding the transfer surface through a transfer zone and away from the printhead. The transfer zone is adjacent to and spaced apart from the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Vesa Karppinen, Kia Silverbrook, John Douglas Peter Morgan, David John Worboys, Patrick John McAuliffe
  • Liquid ejecting apparatus
    Patent number: 7641305
    Abstract: A printer includes a cleaning mechanism that reliably performs an operation of cleaning a liquid ejecting head with a small amount of driving energy. The cleaning mechanism includes a cap manufactured by coinjection molding of a core part and an elastic part. The cap includes a bottom surface, an outer wall, and a partition wall dividing a cap inner space surrounded by the outer wall into two. A ratio of the elastic part in the partition wall is higher than that in the outer wall. With this structure, the partition wall is more elastically deformable than the outer wall. When the cap comes into contact with a nozzle surface of a recording head and covers nozzle rows, the outer wall comes into contact with the nozzle surface with a larger stress compared with the partition wall, and seals chambers where the nozzle rows on the nozzle surface are exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Mano, Shozo Kuwada, Nobuhito Takahashi, Hitoshi Hayakawa
  • Maintenance device used for cleaning a print head of an ink cartridge
    Patent number: 7641307
    Abstract: A maintenance device used for cleaning a print head of an ink cartridge includes a housing including a stopper, and a wiper holder installed inside the housing in a rotatable manner. The wiper holder includes a gear. The maintenance device further includes a wiper fixed on the wiper holder, and a sled installed on the housing in a slidable manner. The sled includes a rack geared with the gear of the wiper holder for driving the wiper holder to rotate when a carrier of the ink cartridge pushes the sled. The maintenance device further includes a lock lever pivoted to the sled for wedging the stopper so as to fix the sled, and a first elastic component connected to the housing and the sled for pulling the sled when the lock lever departs from the stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Qisda Corporation
    Inventor: Yen-Sung Hsieh
  • Inkjet image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 7625062
    Abstract: An inkjet image forming apparatus including an inkjet head including a nozzle portion having a length in a main scanning direction that is at least the same as a width of a paper to be fed therein, a platen to move between a printing position facing the nozzle portion and to support a rear surface of paper and a maintenance position that is apart from the printing position in a sub-scanning direction, and including a receiving portion to receive waste ink, a waste ink container, and a pumping unit to operate by linking with a moving operation of the platen to pump the waste ink from the receiving portion to the waste ink container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youn-gun Jung, Dong-woo Ha