Patents Examined by Thinh Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8936337
    Abstract: In a method of adding a gloss control table, first base material information formed from a first gloss control table of a first base material and a first pattern measurement value of a test pattern formed on the first base material, and second base material information formed from a second gloss control table of a second base material and a second pattern measurement value of a test pattern formed on the second base material, are stored in the storage unit. The method includes: measuring a pattern of new base material for measuring the test pattern formed using a predetermined amount of ink of a new recording medium, and interpolating the gloss control tables for obtaining a new gloss control table of the new base material using a predetermined measured value interpolation method based on the first base material information and the second base material information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Wada, Toru Takahashi, Takamitsu Kondo, Kazuyoshi Tanase
  • Patent number: 8931892
    Abstract: A sheet-supply device internally defining a supply route through which to supply a sheet. The sheet-supply device includes a supply member to supply the sheet from a rolled long sheet, a guide member to guide the sheet to the supply member, provided upstream in a direction in which the sheet is moved to the supply member and, movable between a guide position at which the sheet is guided to the supply member and an escape position at which the guide member is away from the supply route of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Morinaga
  • Patent number: 8926056
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a transporting mechanism configured to transport a recording medium along a first transporting path; a recording head configured to record an image on the recording medium transported by the transporting mechanism; a reading unit configured to read the recording medium and arranged upstream of the recording head along the first transporting path; a re-transporting mechanism configured to perform re-transportation of the recording medium to the transporting mechanism in a state that front and back surfaces of the recording medium are inverted, by re-transporting the recording medium to return to an upstream portion of the first transporting path, via a second transporting path; a sensor arranged upstream of the recording head along the first transporting path and configured to detect the recording medium transported by the transporting mechanism; and a controller configured to control the recording head, the reading unit, the transporting mechanism and the re-transporting mechan
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shunji Uchino
  • Patent number: 8926037
    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: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Terada
  • Patent number: 8926046
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes at least one inkjet head which is disposed above a feed path of a print medium and on which plural nozzles are aligned along a primary sweeping direction perpendicular to a feed direction of the print medium fed along the feed path. The image forming apparatus forms images by ejecting ink droplets from the nozzles. The image forming apparatus includes a controller that is operable to compensate ejection timings of ink droplets to be ejected from the nozzles onto the print medium based on ejection density of the ink droplets. The image forming apparatus can form good images that are not affected by ink dot displacements caused by feed airflow even when the ink dot displacements are affected by self-induced airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Mamoru Saitou, Takashi Ebisawa, Ryo Terakado, Toshihide Maesaka
  • Patent number: 8919907
    Abstract: An inkjet printing apparatus includes a printing unit including four inkjet heads configured to discharge black, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, respectively, to a transferred sheet; and a control unit configured to control the printing unit, wherein the printing unit, when forming a gray image by the printing unit, forms a grey image with three color inks other than black when a level of influence on an ink landing position by an airflow under the inkjet head is a predetermined level or higher, forms the grey image with the black ink when the level of influence is lower than the predetermined level, and controls the printing unit to set higher print resolution and set smaller an ink discharge amount for one pixel from the inkjet head than when forming the gray image with other three color inks, in forming the gray image with the black ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Shimomura
  • Patent number: 8911051
    Abstract: In a case where a first image is printed on a recording medium based on first dot data using the first inkjet recording device and a second image is printed based on second dot data on another recording medium using the second inkjet recording device in which ejected ink drops land onto a recording medium with a small degree of dispersion in a main scanning direction compared to the first inkjet recording device, the first dot data is converted to generate the second dot data such that data of a large dot and a medium dot is converted so as to form a plurality of dots having sizes smaller than the dot size at predetermined intervals between the dots in the main scanning direction in place of the large dot and the medium dot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Fujita, Yoichi Mitsui
  • Patent number: 8905512
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus that performs correction to make gradation values adding both of two head areas (A+C, B+D) approximately equal. An area whose density is the lowest is set as a target density. Assuming densities for head areas A=70, B=100, C=40, D=90, head areas B and D are corrected with correction amount that ?B become equal to ?D (?B=?D=40) in accordance with target value (A+C=100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taku Satoh, Yasunobu Takagi, Toshihito Kamei, Takashi Kimura
  • Patent number: 8894183
    Abstract: A process, which produces a liquid ejection head including a recording element substrate having a principal surface and a support member having a color separation wall for ink flow paths and an outer wall, the substrate being narrower than the support member, a plane formed by conducting translation of a lower side of a substrate outer surface perpendicularly to the principal surface having an intersection with an outer wall top surface at a position distant from an inner edge of the outer wall top surface by an outward distance, includes applying an adhesive onto top surfaces of the outer and color separation walls such that a surface height of the adhesive at the intersection is higher than that at a position distant from an inner edge of the color separation wall top surface by the outward distance, and bonding and fixing the substrate to the support member with the adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatoshi Ohira
  • Patent number: 8888219
    Abstract: There is provided a method of acquiring a correction value of a liquid discharging apparatus that includes a first nozzle row, a second nozzle row, a third nozzle row, and a fourth nozzle row, the method includes: acquiring the amount of deviation (heterogeneous row error) of a dot formed by the third nozzle row in the predetermined direction, acquiring the amount of deviation (overlapping area error) between the dot formed by the third nozzle row and a dot formed by the fourth nozzle row in the predetermined direction, and acquiring a correction value which causes discharge data assigned to the fourth nozzle row to shift in the predetermined direction based on the heterogeneous row error and the overlapping area error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Tanase, Tsuneo Kasai, Toru Takahashi, Masahiro Fukazawa
  • Patent number: 8888220
    Abstract: A printing apparatus comprising: a first transport unit that transports a printing medium; a line head, having a nozzle row in which the plurality of nozzles are arranged, that ejects the liquid from the nozzles onto the printing medium; a second transport unit, disposed at a distance from the first transport unit downstream from the first transport unit, that further transports the printing medium transported by the first transport unit; and a control unit that causes the line head to execute a flushing operation for ejecting the liquid from the nozzles at a predetermined frequency, wherein when causing the line head to execute the flushing operation, the control unit provides a margin, where the liquid does not land, in a region corresponding to a predetermined distance from a leading end of the printing medium that is an end of the printing medium located toward the second transport unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akito Sato
  • Patent number: 8882243
    Abstract: An ink jet printer for printing on a substrate comprising a first print head outputting ink and defining an ink meniscus; a platen operable to carry the substrate; a support structure; and a print head mechanism coupled to the support structure and carrying the first print head. The print head mechanism moves the first print head relative to the platen. A controller controls the print head mechanism such that at least one of a predetermined acceleration and predetermined deceleration of the print head mechanism is achieved such that the ink meniscus is operably maintained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics for Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Andrew Edwards, John Hennessy, Frank Bruck
  • Patent number: 8882216
    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: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kohei Terada
  • Patent number: 8882227
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus, comprising: a transportation unit that transports a medium; a head that includes a first nozzle array on which nozzles for discharging a first liquid are arrayed, and a second nozzle array on which nozzles for discharging a second liquid are arrayed; and a controller that controls the transportation unit and the head based on print data, wherein, in a case where the printing of the print data is designated to be performed without forming the printing dots of the first liquid on the medium, the controller causes the head to discharge the second liquid from the second nozzle array to form the printing dots of the second liquid on the medium, and causes the head to discharge the first liquid from the first nozzle array to form the flushing dots of the first liquid on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akito Sato, Satoshi Yamazaki, Keiko Yamada, Yuko Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8882226
    Abstract: To ejecting a droplet from a reservoir, the reservoir holding a fluid is moved with respect to an acoustic ejector. As the reservoir and ejector move closer together, the acoustic ejector sends one or more interrogation pulses towards the reservoir. Based on the interrogation pulses, the system determines when the movement of the reservoir has placed a free surface of the fluid in a position where a droplet can be ejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Labcyte Inc.
    Inventor: Richard N. Ellson
  • Patent number: 8882248
    Abstract: A supporting section is disposed to confront an ejection surface and supports a recording medium. A first tank is mounted on a first-tank mount section. A liquid conveying section conveys liquid to a liquid ejecting head. A receiving section receives liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting head. A waste-liquid conveying section conveys liquid to the waste-liquid tank. A first casing holds the liquid ejecting head, the first-tank mount section, and the liquid conveying section. A second casing holds the supporting section, the receiving section, the waste-liquid tank, and the waste-liquid conveying section. The first casing is connected with the second casing such that the first casing is movable relative to the second casing. The first casing takes a first position at which the ejection surface confronts the supporting section and a second position at which the ejection surface is farther away from the supporting section than at the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8876257
    Abstract: A sealant contains a dicyclopentadiene type epoxy resin represented by formula 1 below, a hydrogenated bisphenol A epoxy resin, and a photo-induced cationic polymerization initiator, in which the content of the dicyclopentadiene type epoxy resin is 15 to 40 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the total mass of epoxy resins contained in the sealant. where n represents an integer of 0 to 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouji Harada, Isao Imamura, Tadayoshi Inamoto
  • Patent number: 8876239
    Abstract: A method for controlling droplet ejection, wherein droplets ejected from an inkjet print head are to be received on a recording substrate and wherein the print head and the recording substrate are moveable relative to each other, includes determining a set of droplet ejection moments, the set of droplet ejection moments determining when a droplet may be ejected from the print head; moving the inkjet print head and the recording substrate relative to each other; predicting an actual relative position of the print head and the recording substrate at a droplet ejection moment; and determining whether or not a droplet is to be ejected at the droplet ejection moment depending on the predicted actual relative position and depending on the predetermined pattern. Thus, droplets may be ejected from the print head only at stable droplet ejection moments resulting in an increased stability of operation of the print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Oce-Technologies B.V.
    Inventor: Ronald H. Schippers
  • Patent number: 8870324
    Abstract: In a method to execute a print interruption, a printing substrate is printed to with a printing unit with at least one print head. With aid of a sensor, print clock pulses are generated that are supplied to a print controller depending on a feed of the printing substrate. With triggering of the print interruption, a feed speed of the printing substrate is reduced from a print speed in the printing operation to a predetermined speed according to a deceleration ramp. After the print interruption the printing substrate is accelerated again to the print speed according to an acceleration ramp. Given occurrence of a print clock pulse during at least one of the ramps, the print controller sends at least one vibration pulse to the at least one print head so that at least one cycle of vibration oscillations is implemented at the print head. The at least one vibration pulse is generated if a time interval of the print clock pulses relative to one another reaches a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Océ Printing Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Stefan Buschmann
  • Patent number: 8870339
    Abstract: The present invention provides an inkjet image forming method including: forming an image by applying an ink composition containing a first color material and water onto a recording medium; and applying a treatment liquid containing a wax and water onto the image, wherein the treatment liquid contains a second color material, and the first color material and the second color material may be the same or different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kaoru Tojo, Minoru Sakai, Tomoyuki Ohzeki