Patents Examined by Thinh Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8727487
    Abstract: When a jam detector detects jamming, forced discharging from a head and wiping of an ejection surface are performed after a recording medium jammed is removed from a conveyor. When the count on a jam counter matches with any of one or more thresholds, at least the number of times the wiping is executed after the jammed recording medium is removed from the conveyor is greater than that executed when the count on the jam counter does not match with any of one or more thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kosuke Nukui
  • Patent number: 8721042
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead includes a printhead die including: a first nozzle array that is configured to be fed with ink by a first ink feed; and a second nozzle array that is configured to be fed with ink by a second ink feed; and a mounting substrate including: a surface to which the printhead die is attached; a first layer including a first ink channel having an opening disposed at the surface; a second layer including a second ink channel having an opening disposed at the surface; and a third layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer, wherein the printhead die is attached to the first layer, the second layer and the third layer, and wherein the first ink channel opening is fluidically connected to the first ink feed, and the second ink channel opening is fluidically connected to the second ink feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dwight J. Petruchik, Mario J. Ciminelli
  • Patent number: 8721017
    Abstract: The present invention forms a high-quality image by using a print head, in which a plurality of arrayed small heads, each having a plurality of print elements arranged in columns, are arranged so that at least two sets of print elements in adjoining small heads are aligned in a scan direction. The print head and a print medium are moved relative to each other in the scan direction crossing a direction of the print element columns. The print elements are divided into a plurality of drive blocks and activated the drive blocks on a time-division basis. The small heads each have the plurality of print elements arranged in columns, the number of print elements being equal to an integer times the number of time-division drive blocks. Drive timings with which to activate the paired print elements aligned in the scan direction are the same time-division drive timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Yamaguchi, Makoto Akihira, Satoshi Wada
  • Patent number: 8721035
    Abstract: An image forming method including applying a treatment liquid; and applying a first ink containing a pigment, water, and polymer particles of with the content is 1.0 mass % to 3.0 mass %, and applying a second ink having a different hue to the first ink onto the applied first ink at an ink droplet speed of 6 m/sec to 10 m/sec to form a multi-color image, in which an interval from a landing time point of the first ink to a landing time point of the second ink is 200 msec or less, and a dot diameter ?2 of the second ink, and a dot diameter ?1 of the second ink in an ink droplet amount equal to an ink droplet amount in the forming of the multi-color image satisfy a relationship of 0.90??2/?1?1.10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yasufumi Ooishi, Kiyoshi Irita
  • Patent number: 8714705
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes a plurality of pressure chambers, respectively communicating with a plurality of ejection orifices for ejecting a liquid, for storing the liquid to be ejected from the plurality of ejection orifices. At least a part of a wall portion forming each of the plurality of pressure chambers is formed of a piezoelectric member, and the plurality of pressure chambers causes the plurality of ejection orifices to eject the liquid by deformation of the piezoelectric member. A plurality of space portions is arranged in parallel to the plurality of pressure chambers at intervals, with some of the plurality of space portions being decompressable. A gas permeable member is provided between the pressure chambers and the decompressable space portions so that a gas inside the pressure chambers is exhausted via the decompressable space portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsutoshi Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8714699
    Abstract: An image apparatus includes a carriage, a first recording head, a second recording head, and a maintenance assembly. The carriage is movable in a main scanning direction. The second recording head is displaced from the first recording head on the carriage in a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. The maintenance assembly includes a frame member, a first maintenance device, and a second maintenance device. The frame member has a guide portion, a first contact portion, and a second contact portion. The second maintenance device is reciprocally movable along the guide portion in the sub scanning direction between a first position to oppose the first recording head and a second position to oppose the second recording head. The second maintenance device stops at the first position in contact with the first contact portion and at the second position in contact with the second contact portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8714681
    Abstract: An inkjet printer is configured to acquire gap variation information related to a variation of a gap between a specific portion of an ink discharging surface and a recording sheet as a function of an inkjet head position, the specific portion located within a usage nozzle disposed area where usage nozzle rows to be actually used are disposed, determine representative gap variation information related to a variation, as a function of the inkjet head position, of a representative gap representing actual gaps between the usage nozzle rows and the recording sheet, by multiplying the gap variation information by a correction coefficient dependent on a width of the usage nozzle disposed area in a head moving direction and a wavelength of a wave shape of the recording sheet, and determine ink discharging timing based on the representative gap variation information, assuming that the actual gaps are equal to the representative gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Terada
  • Patent number: 8708458
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide materials and methods for a superoleophobic device, which can include a conformal oleophobic coating disposed on glass pillars and/or stripe-shaped glass structures on a glass substrate to provide the device with a textured superoleophobic surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Hong Zhao, Kock-Yee Law, Yuanjia Zhang
  • Patent number: 8696087
    Abstract: An inflow opening of an inflow path opens to a space in a tank. An outflow opening of an outflow path opens to the space in the tank. The inflow opening and the outflow opening are vertically above a maximum level of the moisturizing liquid allowed to be stored in the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuichi Tamaki
  • Patent number: 8690289
    Abstract: A printing device and a printer using the same are provided. The printer includes a body and the printing device installed therein. The printing device includes a shaft, an inkjet module disposed on the shaft, and a cleaning module disposed under the shaft. The inkjet module has a nozzle and at least one electromagnet around the nozzle. The cleaning module includes a scraper and a cap disposed aside of the scraper, wherein the cap is magnetic or has at least one magnet disposed therein. Whether the cap attracts the nozzle or the cap repels the nozzle is determined by the current applied to the electromagnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kinpo Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Yu-Hsiang Kuo
  • Patent number: 8690285
    Abstract: An optical sensor that outputs a signal based on reflected light intensity is moved in a second direction orthogonal to a transport direction of a medium. A pattern containing patches representing a plurality of gradation levels between a first gradation level and a second gradation level denser than the first is formed such that each patch is located at a different position in the second direction. Signals of the patch of the second gradation level and another patch are outputted. Then signals are outputted with respect to positions in the second direction in a blank region onto which ink has not been dispensed, one of the positions being located at the same position as the patch of the second gradation level, the other position being located at the another patch, so as to correct a dispensing amount corresponding to the gradation level of the another patch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Hoshii
  • Patent number: 8690290
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes: an ejection head configured and arranged to eject liquid from a nozzle; a suction container in which a first suction port, a second suction port that is farther away from the nozzle compared to the first suction port, and a discharge port are formed, air sucked from the first suction port and the second suction port passing through the suction container; and a suction device configured and arranged to suck the air from the discharge port to an outside of the suction container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Norihiro Masuda
  • Patent number: 8678545
    Abstract: An inkjet head includes an actuator substrate provided with a pressure generating chamber, a nozzle plate provided with multiple nozzle holes discharging liquid to form a nozzle surface opposite to a recording media, a common passage substrate provided with a common passage to supply liquid to the pressure generating chamber, and a cover member to cover a perimeter of the nozzle surface, with an opening to expose the nozzle holes. In a prescribed direction, a dimension of the opening of the cover Lc, an external dimension of the actuator substrate La, an external dimension of the nozzle plate Ln, and an external dimension of the common passage substrate Lm, satisfy inequalities, La?Lc<Ln?Lm. A supporting member is provided between the opposing surface of the nozzle surface and the surface of the common passage substrate facing to the nozzle plate, to support the nozzle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Nishimura, Yukitoshi Tajima
  • Patent number: 8678547
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an inkjet recording device includes a cleaning member which faces a nozzle surface of an inkjet head and moves along a row of nozzles, a control device which controls ones of the nozzles to partially discharge ink, the ones of the nozzles positioning in an area which the cleaning member faces when the cleaning member moves, and an ink retaining part which retains the ink between the cleaning member and the nozzle surface of the inkjet head which faces the cleaning member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Noboru Nitta
  • Patent number: 8672451
    Abstract: Improved output quality of a printer used in UV curable ink jet printing is achieved by minimizing or eliminating a print artifact referred to as gloss banding or tire tracking. A same or a similar number of nozzles as used in conventional printers is used to achieve a desired throughput, but the nozzles are arranged so that any given square inch of substrate to which ink is being applied receives a lower amount of ink. A longer effective print head is provided by arranging the print heads into a longer array, where the print heads are butted substantially end-to-end. As a result, the net throughput of the printer is the same as that of a conventional printer because the printer uses the same number of print heads, but the amount of ink that is applied to any given square inch is less on a pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics for Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph A. Lahut, Dwight Cram, John P. Duffield, Peter Heath
  • Patent number: 8668307
    Abstract: A printing system including an ink deposition unit that could be oriented and move along a long axis of an image segment to be printed. The system prints images occupying a number of segments of a substrate surface at a substantially shorter time than the existing printing systems operating in raster mode would print.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: DIP-Tech Ltd
    Inventors: Arnon Lewartowski, Yaakov Levi, Rom Condrea
  • Patent number: 8668306
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head including: a head unit having a nozzle forming surface on which a plurality of rows of nozzles ejecting a liquid are arranged and of which the nozzle forming surface is wiped by a wiping member along an arrangement direction of the nozzle rows; and a fixing member, wherein the fixing member has a fixing plate section on which an exposure opening section exposing the nozzles of the nozzle forming surface is formed and of which an upper surface is joined to the nozzle forming surface as a fixing reference surface in a state where the nozzle is exposed into the exposure opening section, and a cutout section, which opens the exposure opening section in the wiping direction and exposes an edge portion of the nozzle forming surface, is formed downstream of the wiping member in the wiping direction in the exposure opening section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Eguchi, Shigeki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8662634
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a liquid ejection head, a head tank, a liquid storage container, a liquid supply passage, a liquid feed device, a control valve, and a suction device. The control valve is disposed at the liquid supply passage to open and close the liquid supply passage between the head tank and the liquid storage container. The head tank has a filter, a flow channel, a deformable wall face member, and a gap maintaining elastic member. The wall face member is opposed to the filter and forms a wall face of the channel. The elastic member is disposed in the head tank to urge the wall face member in a direction to increase a gap between the wall face member and the filter. When the suction device sucks liquid from the nozzles with the valve closed, the wall face member deforms in a direction to approach the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomomi Katoh
  • Patent number: 8657408
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes an ink-jet head having a plurality of nozzles and configured to jet ink droplets from the nozzles; a carriage configured to carry the ink-jet head, and reciprocate in a predetermined scanning direction; a transport mechanism configured to transport the recording medium, on which the ink droplets jetted from the nozzles land, in a transport direction intersecting the scanning direction; and a control device configured to control the ink-jet head, the carriage and the transport mechanism to perform recording of the image. The nozzles include a plurality of first nozzles which are aligned at first interval with respect to the transport direction and from which first-type ink droplets are jetted, and a plurality of second nozzles which are aligned at second interval with respect to the transport direction and from which second-type ink droplets different from the first-type ink droplets are jetted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsushi Ito, Takashi Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 8657409
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a hammer bank for a line printer includes a back plate and a plurality of elongated pole pieces extending forwardly from a front surface thereof. Each of the pole pieces has an electrical coil disposed about a circumfery thereof. A permanent magnet has a back surface coupled to the front surface of the back plate, and a shunt fret defining a plurality of elongated, downwardly extending shunts has a back surface coupled to a font surface of the permanent magnet. A hammer fret defining a plurality of elongated, upwardly extending hammers has a back surface coupled to the front surface of the back plate. Each of the hammers is interdigitated between a pair of adjacent shunts. Each hammer includes an elongated spring portion having a hammer head disposed at an upper end thereof, and each hammer head has a forwardly projecting printing tip thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Printronix, Inc.
    Inventors: John W. Gemmell, Rohit Sharma, Rudy Concepcion