Patents Examined by Stephen Meier
  • Patent number: 9630432
    Abstract: The invention relates to a printer and a corresponding print medium, wherein the printer reads, by means of a sensor, a code provided on the print medium. In order to make possible a simplified operation at the same time as an optimal printing result it is provided that data read by means of the sensor are transmitted to a merchandise management system by means of an interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Bizerba GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Dieter Conzelmann
  • Patent number: 9623652
    Abstract: A liquid discharge component includes discharge units arrayed to form columns each extending in a first direction and rows each extending in a second direction. Each discharge unit includes an element configured to apply energy to a liquid, and a driving circuit configured to drive the element. The component includes a logic circuit configured to control the driving circuit. The number of the columns is smaller than the number of the plurality of rows. The logic circuit includes shift registers configured to transfer, in the second direction, data to be supplied to the driving circuits. The shift register is configured to supply data to the discharge units of at least one row, the shift register includes flip-flops arranged in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Takagi
  • Patent number: 9623693
    Abstract: A printer cover locking mechanism has a reduced number of parts and may be assembled in a small space, by simplification of a print head (thermal head (13)) mechanism, a cover lock (27) mechanism relating to opening and closing of an opening and closing cover (3), and a heat dissipation mechanism for a print head (13). The cover lock (27) also serves as a heat dissipation plate. A printer cover locking mechanism includes the opening and closing cover (3) that opens and closes with respect to a printer housing (2). A print head (13) for printing on print paper (continuous label body (4)), a platen roller (14) for feeding a print paper (4) by sandwiching the print paper (4) between the platen roller (14) and the print head (13), and a cover lock (27) for causing the print head (13) to contact with and separate from the platen roller (14) by engaging with and disengaging from the platen roller (14), respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: SATO HOLDINGS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tamotsu Katayama
  • Patent number: 9623665
    Abstract: A liquid container is configured to be placeable in a containing vessel having a pressurized space and a vessel-side liquid supply structure that is connected with a liquid consuming device. The liquid container comprises a liquid container body; a liquid supply structure that is configured to supply a liquid contained in the liquid container body to the vessel-side liquid supply structure; a container body holding assembly that is configured to hold the liquid container body; and a substrate holding structure that is provided in the container body holding assembly. The container body holding assembly is positioned relative to the containing vessel such that the liquid container body and the liquid supply structure are placed inside of the pressurized space and the substrate holding structure is placed outside of the pressurized space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Aoki, Naoki Naito, Takeshi Iwamuro, Ryoji Fujimori, Keiichiro Yoshino
  • Patent number: 9623681
    Abstract: A printer paper tray comprising a paper tray bezel, and a paper tray cassette coupled to the paper tray bezel, in which the paper tray bezel moves in the x and y direction independent of the paper tray cassette. A printer comprising a paper tray comprising a bezel coupled to a cassette in which the bezel moves independent of the cassette and is biased towards the cassette in the x direction. A bezel mounting system comprising a number of biasing members to bias a printer tray bezel towards a printer tray cassette in the x-direction, and a number of biasing pads to bias the bezel in a substantially centered position with respect to the cassette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Kevin Lo, Brian F. Davis
  • Patent number: 9616679
    Abstract: A method for example of irradiating a light-curable material, may comprise irradiating light about a first axis from an array of light-emitting elements towards a light-curable surface, directing the irradiated light through an optical element interposed between the array of light-emitting elements and the light-curable surface, wherein a central axis of the optical element is offset from the first axis, and deflecting the irradiated light directed through the optical element asymmetrically away from the first axis towards the light-curable surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Phoseon Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Doug Childers
  • Patent number: 9617437
    Abstract: An aqueous ink composition including water; an optional co-solvent; an optional colorant; and a composite comprising a sulfonated polyester matrix having a plurality of silver nanoparticles dispersed within the matrix. A process including incorporating the aqueous ink into an ink jet printing apparatus; ejecting droplets of ink in an imagewise pattern onto an intermediate transfer member or directly onto a final image receiving substrate; optionally, heating the image to partially or completely remove solvents; and optionally, when an intermediate transfer member is used, transferring the ink in the imagewise pattern from the intermediate transfer member to a final recording substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Valerie M. Farrugia, Alana Rah Desouza
  • Patent number: 9616668
    Abstract: An interchangeable servicing cassette is sized to be removably received by a servicing portion of a service station for servicing a handheld jet dispensing apparatus comprising a fluid jet cartridge carrying a composition and a camera for capturing an image of a surface. The servicing cassette includes a moveable actuation member configured to be moved by an actuator of the docking station relative to the fluid jet cartridge of the jet dispensing apparatus. At least one of a wiping element, a calibration element and a composition receiving element is carried by the moveable actuation member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Thomas Elliot Rabe, Paul John Edward Vernon, Grant Edward Anders Striemer, Janette Villalobos Lingoes, Rebecca Ashley Kolakoski, Brian Lee Floyd
  • Patent number: 9616658
    Abstract: A waveform selecting process includes selecting one of a plurality of kinds of driving waveforms for each of a plurality of dot elements, based on a density value set to each of the plurality of dot elements in image data. The waveform selecting process includes, for a dot element array of each of the plurality of ejection ports: determining whether a dot element corresponding to a target dot has a second density value and determining whether a subsequent dot element corresponding to a subsequent dot has a first density value and, when both determinations are positive, setting the dot element corresponding to the target dot as a correction-target dot element, the subsequent dot being subsequent to the target dot in the formation order; and selecting one of a first driving waveform and a second driving waveform as a driving waveform of a correction-target dot element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuaki Suzuki, Katsunori Sakai, Motohiro Tsuboi
  • Patent number: 9610783
    Abstract: A light irradiation device includes: a UV irradiation unit that applies light to UV ink having been applied onto a medium; and a moving unit that moves a relative position of the medium and the UV irradiation unit in the Z-axis direction; wherein the UV irradiation unit includes, a light source row formed by arranging plural light emitting diodes (LED), irradiation intensity of which falls within a first range, in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the Z-axis direction; and another light source row located next to the light source row and formed by arranging plural LEDs, irradiation intensity of which falls within a second range, in the Y-axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazutoshi Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 9610777
    Abstract: A printing control apparatus controls ejection of a pigment ink, supplied from a cartridge, from a nozzle row having a plurality of nozzles. Time information regarding an elapsed time of the cartridge is obtained, and used nozzles, in the nozzle row, that eject the pigment ink are reduced based on the time information of the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Asada, Tomoyuki Nakano, Takashi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9611113
    Abstract: A flange includes: an attaching section to which a roll medium is attached; and an outer circumferential section that has a placing section and that assumes a first state and a second state into which the outer circumferential section is transformed from the first state and in which the placing section projects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneyuki Sasaki, Junya Kato
  • Patent number: 9605169
    Abstract: Aqueous green inkjet ink compositions are prepared from aqueous organic pigment dispersions for use in various inkjet printing methods. In particular, these methods provide a green image or expanded color gamut for other inkjet printed colors. The aqueous organic pigment dispersion contains a green copper phthalocyanine pigment and an azo-coupled ?-ketoamide pigment and an organic pigment dispersant. The weight ratio of the green copper phthalocyanine pigment to the azo-coupled ?-ketoamide pigment is from 1:1 to 10:1. The median particle diameter of each of the green copper phthalocyanine pigment and the azo-coupled ?-ketoamide pigment is less than 85 nm. At least 95% of the total particles of each of the green copper phthalocyanine pigment and the azo-coupled ?-ketoamide pigment have a particle diameter of less than 150 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Barbara Boland Lussier, Daniel Talbot Linehan
  • Patent number: 9604481
    Abstract: Provided is a medium transport device transporting a medium. The medium transport device includes a skew correcting mechanism disposed on a transport path for transporting a long medium, a first transport roller disposed on the transport path and transporting the medium, and a second transport roller transporting the medium to the first transport roller. The first transport roller is disposed upstream of the skew correcting mechanism. The second transport roller is disposed upstream of and next to the first transport roller. The second transport roller contacts one surface of the medium, and the first transport roller contacts the other surface of the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaharu Yamamoto, Shinsuke Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9604473
    Abstract: A first feeder contacts a first surface of a first sheet held in a first tray and feeds the first sheet toward a recording unit. A second feeder contacts a first surface of a second sheet held in a second tray and feeds the second sheet toward the recording unit. An inner member is disposed above a standing plate. An outer member comprises an upstream portion opposing the standing plate, and a downstream portion opposing the inner member. The inner member guides the first surface of the first sheet and the first surface of the second sheet. The standing plate guides the first surface of the second sheet. The upstream portion of the outer member guides a second surface of the second sheet, and the downstream portion guides a second surface of the first sheet and the second surface of the second sheet. The standing plate moves relative to the outer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Asada, Kensuke Hirate, Yoshiyuki Washino
  • Patent number: 9604455
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a plurality of stacked substrates that include a nozzle substrate having a nozzle from which liquid is ejected. A channel is formed in at least a part of the substrates and guides the liquid to the nozzle. The channel includes: a first channel that extends in an X direction intersecting a stacking direction in which the substrates are stacked; a curved section curved in a Z direction that intersects the X direction and contains a component of the stacking direction; and a second channel that extends from the curved section in the Z direction. A wall is formed in a corner portion inside the channel so as to intersect both the X and Z directions, and the corner portion is formed in the curved section between the inside walls of the first and second channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shingo Tomimatsu, Shunsuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9597876
    Abstract: There is provide an ink-jet recording apparatus including: an ink containing a self-dispersible pigment; an ink-jet head configured to discharge the ink; an absorber which is arranged in an area facing a discharge surface of the ink-jet head, and which is configured to absorb the ink discharged from the ink-jet head; and a liquid agent which contains a water-soluble organic solvent, and which is absorbed in the absorber, wherein a surface tension of an aqueous solution containing the liquid agent at concentration of 5% by weight is not more than 50 mN/m; and a blending percentage by weight of the water-soluble organic solvent in the liquid agent is not less than five times a blending percentage by weight of the self-dispersible pigment in the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenjiro Imai, Atsushi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9597885
    Abstract: An ink cartridge comprises a main body comprising a first surface, a second surface, and a chamber, configured to store ink, disposed between the first surface and the second surface; an ink outlet portion disposed on the first surface of the main body configured to direct the ink from the chamber to an exterior of the main body; and an electronic circuit board disposed on the main body. The electronic circuit board comprises an electrical interface, a first portion facing a second direction that intersects a first plane that is perpendicular to the first direction, a second portion facing a third direction away from the ink outlet portion that intersects a second plane that is parallel to the first direction, and a connecting portion between the first portion and the second portion. The electrical interface is disposed on an area of the electronic circuit board including the connecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Takagi, Tomohiro Kanbe, Yasuhiro Kato, Hirotake Nakamura, Hirofumi Kondo
  • Patent number: 9597868
    Abstract: An intermediate transfer member (ITM) for use in a printing system to transport an ink image from an image forming station to an impression station for transfer of the ink image from the ITM onto a printing substrate, wherein the ITM is an endless flexible belt of substantially uniform width which, during use, passes over drive and guide rollers and is guided through at least the image forming station by means of guide channels that receive formations provided on both lateral edges of the belt, wherein the formations on a first edge differ from the formations on the second edge by being configured for providing the elasticity desired to maintain the belt taut when the belt is guided through their respective lateral channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: LANDA CORPORATION LTD.
    Inventors: Benzion Landa, Aharon Shmaiser, Itshak Ashkanazi
  • Patent number: 9592686
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a supporting section capable of supporting a medium; an ejecting section capable of ejecting liquid onto the medium supported by the supporting section; and a first detecting section capable of detecting whether an amount of space between the medium supported by the supporting section and the ejecting section is equal to or more than a first threshold value. The liquid ejecting apparatus thus configured makes it possible to prevent liquid from being ejected from an ejecting section onto a medium in a state where an amount of space between the medium and the ejecting section is too large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Mashima