Patents Examined by Thinh Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9358779
    Abstract: An apparatus that performs recording using a recording head provided with a plurality of ejection port arrays each including a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting a liquid and heaters each provided corresponding to each of the ejection ports, the ejection port arrays being disposed on a printing element board and arranged in a predetermined direction, the apparatus including a driving unit configured to drive the heaters corresponding to the ejection ports in the plurality of ejection port arrays to eject the liquid, the driving unit giving priority to the heater corresponding to other ejection port array except for a first ejection port array and a second ejection port array of both sides in the predetermined direction among the plurality of ejection port arrays disposed in the predetermined direction to drive for recording.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kyota Miyazaki, Akira Yamamoto, Yasuhiko Osaki, Toshiaki Hirosawa
  • Patent number: 9358790
    Abstract: A printing apparatus which performs printing by using an ink jet method includes an ink jet head including nozzles which eject ink droplets on a medium, a landing position reading unit which reads a landing position which is a position on which ink droplets are landed on the medium, and a landing state determination unit which determines whether or not a landing position is deviated from a normal position which is set in advance based on a landing position which is read by using the landing position reading unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 9352564
    Abstract: A method for determining an issue in an inkjet nozzle with impedance measurements, includes taking a first impedance measurement to detect a drive bubble with an impedance sensor; and taking a second impedance measurement to detect said drive bubble with said impedance sensor after said first impedance measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Andrew L. Van Brocklin, Eric T. Martin, Alexander Govyadinov, David Maxfield
  • Patent number: 9353274
    Abstract: An ink includes water, a pigment, and a copolymer, wherein the copolymer contains a structure unit represented by the following Chemical formula 1, where R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, M1+ and M2+ each, independently represent monovalent cations, n and m each, independently represent 0 or integers of from 1 to 6 excluding a case where both are 0 and a structure unit represented by the following Chemical formula 2, where R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, Y represents an alkylene group having 2 to 18 carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keita Katoh, Shigeyuki Harada, Yoshiki Yanagawa, Masayuki Fukuoka, Kazukiyo Nagai, Tomoyuki Shimada, Akiyoshi Sabu, Yuusuke Koizuka
  • Patent number: 9340046
    Abstract: A drive device includes: connection gears connected to driving objects; a movable gear movable between the connection gears; a drive source for rotating the movable gear; and at least one estimator each provided for a corresponding one of at least one of the connection gears and configured to: estimate a reaction-force estimate value, as an estimate value of a reaction force acting in a power transmission system from the drive source to the driving object, based on control input, control output, and a model of the power transmission system; and output the reaction-force estimate value. The model is configured such that the reaction-force estimate value falls within a set range in a state in which the movable gear is meshed with the connection gear. A controller detects mesh and/or separation between the movable gear and the at least one connection gear based on the reaction-force estimate value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Eisuke Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9340009
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a full-line printhead in which a plurality of chips, on each of which a plurality of nozzle arrays are juxtaposed, are arranged in the nozzle arrayed direction, and which prints by the entire width of a printing medium using a plurality of nozzles arranged on the plurality of chips. The printing apparatus discharges ink from a predetermined number of successive nozzles on each nozzle array of each chip toward a printing medium during conveyance, thereby forming a plurality of first patterns corresponding to at least one nozzle array of each chip on the printing medium in the nozzle arrayed direction, reads the plurality of first patterns from the printing medium during conveyance using a sensor, calculates the shift amount of an ink attached position based on the plurality of read first patterns and corrects the attached position of ink based on the shift amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Murayama, Satoshi Azuma, Kei Kosaka, Makoto Torigoe, Shigeyasu Nagoshi
  • Patent number: 9340032
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid ejection device including a head for ejecting a liquid, a liquid containing unit, a liquid filler, and a pressure adjusting unit, in which the liquid containing unit includes a sealed housing and a flexible member provided in the housing, the housing includes a first containing space communicating with the head and a second containing space partitioned from the first containing space through use of the flexible member, the first containing space contains the liquid, and the liquid filler is filled into the second containing space, the pressure adjusting unit communicates with the second containing space, and adjusts the pressure of the liquid filler filled into the second containing space so as to maintain a negative pressure with respect to the head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Araki, Yasuyuki Tamura, Akio Saito, Makoto Fukuhara, Hiroyuki Ozaki
  • Patent number: 9333768
    Abstract: An ink-jet printing system (10) includes a generator (20) for in situ generation of a component of an inert atmosphere (an atmosphere that is depleted of oxygen). The system also includes a curing zone (16) in which the generated component (for example nitrogen or carbon dioxide) is distributable over ink that had been deposited on a substrate (12), and in which the ink is exposable to a curing agent (for example UV radiation).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Industrial Printing LTD
    Inventors: Yokai Edlitz, Ran Vilk, Gilad Ben-Bassat
  • Patent number: 9333761
    Abstract: A color-processing device includes a storage section which stores reference data including reference values set for respective representative color values selected within the range of a predetermined number of gradations of a predetermined color for each of representative output parts selected from a predetermined number of output parts, a first specifying section which specifies an output part corresponding to the input value, a second specifying section which specifies a representative output part corresponding to the specified output part, a third specifying section which specifies a representative color value corresponding to a color value indicated by the input value, an obtaining section which obtains reference values corresponding to combinations of the specified representative output part and representative color value, and a calculating section which calculates an output value corresponding to the input value by interpolation using the obtained reference values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Takagi, Kenichirou Hiramoto
  • Patent number: 9327524
    Abstract: A dryer for drying an ink image formed on a recording medium is provided. The dryer includes a selective heating dryer, a uniform heating dryer, and a controller. The selective heating dryer is disposed on an upstream side of a feeding path of the recording medium, and performs a first-time drying of the ink image under an output condition in which an amount of cockling becomes equal to or less than a given amount. The uniform heating dryer is disposed on a downstream side from the selective heating dryer on the feeding path, and performs a second-time drying of the ink image after the selective heating dryer performs the first-time drying. The controller changes the output condition of the selective heating dryer in accordance with image information of the ink image, when the ink image is formed with a conductive-particle-containing ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masafumi Yamada, Takuma Nakamura, Tetsurou Sasamoto
  • Patent number: 9327519
    Abstract: An indirect printing process comprises providing an inkjet printing apparatus comprising an intermediate transfer member. A wet sacrificial coating composition is deposited onto the intermediate transfer member. The wet sacrificial coating composition is made from ingredients comprising: a waxy starch; at least one hygroscopic material; at least one surfactant; and a liquid carrier. The wet sacrificial coating composition is dried to form a dry sacrificial coating. Droplets of ink are ejected in an imagewise pattern onto the dry sacrificial coating. The ink is at least partially dried to form a substantially dry ink pattern. Both the substantially dry ink pattern and the sacrificial coating are transferred from the intermediate transfer member to a final substrate. At least one cross-linking agent is applied to cross-link the sacrificial coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: James R. Larson, Jeffrey J. Folkins, Santokh S. Badesha, Mandakini Kanungo
  • Patent number: 9321290
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses a medium cartridge including a recording medium roll with a long recording medium wound around an axis, a support member, and at least one of first protruding parts and second protruding parts. The support member rotatably supports the recording medium roll. The first protruding parts are disposed on the recording medium roll so as to respectively protrude to one side and another side in an axial direction and face the support member. The second protruding parts are disposed on the support member so as to respectively protrude to the one side and the another side in the axial direction and face the recording medium roll.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mitsugi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9321931
    Abstract: A pre-processing fluid contains water, a water soluble organic solvent, a water soluble flocculant, a compound represented by C6F13—CH2CH2O(CH2CH2O)nH Chemical formula 1, where n represents an integer of from 1 to 40, and a compound represented by HOR1R3C—(CH2)m—CR2R4OH Chemical formula 2, where R1 and R2 each, independently represent alkyl groups having 3 to 6 carbon atoms, R3 and R4 each, independently represent methyl groups or ethyl groups, and m represents an integer of from 1 to 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Tamai, Michihiko Namba, Shosuke Aoai
  • Patent number: 9315052
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a printer for printing on labels has a controller that controls how a mount paper is conveyed. The plurality of labels is attached to the mount paper. The controller controls a first conveyance unit and a second conveyance unit such that a feed amount of the mount paper conveyed in a forward direction by the second conveyance unit is smaller than a feed amount of the mount paper conveyed in the forward direction by the first conveyance unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiromasa Harashina
  • Patent number: 9308761
    Abstract: Provided is an ink jet printing method of discharging glitter ink, of which glitter pigment is dispersed in water, onto a non-ink-absorption or low-ink-absorption printing medium in an ink jet method. The ink jet printing method includes: a foundation layer formation process of forming a foundation layer by providing resin ink, of which a resin component is dispersed or dissolved in a dispersion medium, onto at least a portion of the printing medium on which the glitter ink is intended to be discharged; and a glitter ink printing process of discharging the glitter ink onto the foundation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Kagata, Tsuyoshi Sano, Hidehiko Komatsu, Naoki Koike
  • Patent number: 9302526
    Abstract: An image erasing apparatus includes a reading unit configured to read identifiers printed on each of first and second surfaces of a sheet, an erasing unit, a sheet storage unit, a conveying unit configured turn over the sheet while conveying the sheet, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to determine a first number of times the first surface of the sheet has been subjected to an erasing process and a second number of times the second surface of the sheet has been subjected to the erasing process, based on the identifiers read by the reading unit, control the conveying unit to turn over the sheet when the first number of times is smaller than the second number of times, and control the conveying unit to convey the sheet without turning over the sheet when the first number of times is greater than the second number of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hisashi Saino
  • Patent number: 9302471
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid droplet discharging method including: based on a first correction quantity table correlating to discharging of the first nozzle row, a second correction quantity table correlating to discharging of the second nozzle row, a relative usage ratio of the first nozzle row to the second nozzle row (=a usage rate of the first nozzle row/a usage rate of the second nozzle row), and a third correction quantity table correlating to discharging of a predetermined value Hk which is the relative usage ratio, correcting a liquid droplet quantity, per a unit area in print media, discharged from the first nozzle row and/or the second nozzle row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Ayako Kobayashi, Jun Hoshii, Takashi Doi
  • Patent number: 9302474
    Abstract: In a method to control vibration measures and refresh measures in a printing operation of an ink printing system with at least one printing apparatus, the printing apparatus having printing elements that fire ink droplets as print dots at a printing substrate depending on control data determined from print data associated with print images and firing pause information about firing pauses for the printing elements. Prefire data and refresh data derived from the firing pause information and from operating condition information of the printing apparatus are combined with the control data. The vibration measures and refresh measures are executed by the printing elements depending on the firing pause information, the prefire data, and the refresh data, no ink droplets being ejected during the vibration measures and ink droplets being ejected during the refresh measures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Océ Printing Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Philippe Koerner, Harald Myllek
  • Patent number: 9296229
    Abstract: In printing apparatus, an edge sensor detects a serpentine amount caused by transportation of a web. A predicted waveform data generating unit generates predicted waveform data on the serpentine amount to be produced in the following web in accordance with actually measured waveform data on the detected serpentine amount. A correcting unit corrects a printing position of an image in accordance with a shift amount, and applies a corrected printing position to a printing head. Here, the shift amount is determined with the shift amount determining unit in accordance with the predicted waveform data. Accordingly, the shift amount is determinable in accordance with the actually measured waveform data on the serpentine amount detected with the edge sensor more accurately than that through a method in which a shift amount is directly determined. This allows suppressed misregister.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd., RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Fukui, Kazuki Yamanaka, Kunio Muraji, Mitsuhiro Yoshida, Takashi Kamigiku
  • Patent number: 9290005
    Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes a first discharge unit to form an image on a recording medium; and a second discharge unit including a nozzle line that discharges transparent droplets on the image formed on the recording medium. The second discharge unit moves in a first direction relative to the recording medium and the nozzle line has nozzles in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. After the image formation, the second discharge unit discharges the transparent droplets from the nozzles spaced at m?1 nozzle intervals to form a row of dots in the second direction, and repeats the forming while moving to form m rows in the first direction, such that the dots in the rows are formed at m?1 nozzle intervals and positions of the dots between n-th and n?1-th rows are displaced together by one nozzle in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Akiyama, Ryuuta Katoh, Kazuki Yasu, Yoshinari Suzuki