Patents Examined by Tracey McMillion
  • Patent number: 9108452
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a recorded matter including applying a first ink including a volatile first liquid to an intermediate transfer medium; applying a second ink including a coloring agent, a thermoplastic resin and a volatile second liquid using an ink jet method to locations of the intermediate transfer medium where the first ink is applied; heating the surface of the intermediate transfer medium where the second ink is applied from the opposite surface side and volatilizing at least a part of the second liquid; transferring the second ink heated of the surface of the intermediate transfer medium onto the recording medium; and heating the second ink transferred to the recording medium of the surface of the intermediate transfer medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyohiko Takemoto, Akio Ito
  • Patent number: 9108444
    Abstract: Multiple suction holes are formed in a conveyance belt of a conveyor device. A suction unit is arranged on one of surfaces of the conveyance belt. The suction unit includes a unit case. The unit case includes a plurality of cells arranged side by side in the width direction of the conveyance belt and in a conveyance direction of paper. A fan is provided in each of the plurality of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Kenichi Satake
  • Patent number: 9085176
    Abstract: A method for printing on a moving print medium in a printing system is disclosed. The method includes providing a linehead defining one or more print zones. A plurality of transport rollers are provided, wherein at least one transport roller is disposed opposite the linehead, adjacent to the second side of the print medium, and aligned with one of the print zones. A vacuum assembly is disposed opposite the second side of the print medium and includes a vacuum manifold aligned with the aligned transport roller. The print medium is moved through the printing system and a vacuum force operates on the print medium such that at least a portion of the print medium is deflected thereby increasing a wrap angle of the moving print medium around the aligned transport roller. Liquid is jetted from the linehead onto the print medium to form a print.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Michael J. Piatt, James A. Katerberg, Randy D. Vandagriff
  • Patent number: 9085849
    Abstract: Provided is an ink jet recording apparatus including a tray detachably mounted on a tray support portion of an ink jet recording apparatus in which the tray includes a main body having a support surface to support a medium, two of a first positioning pin and second positioning pin which protrude toward a mounting surface on an opposite side of a setting surface of the main body and are used at the time of mounting the main body on the tray support portion, and the tray support portion includes two of a first hole portion and second hole portion in which the two positioning pins are inserted respectively, and a placing portion on which the tray is mounted in a state where the two positioning pins are inserted in the two hole portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Takeuchi, Kenji Yanagishita
  • Patent number: 9080728
    Abstract: A wiping device has a wiping section that relatively moves along the nozzle surface, and the wiping section has: a curved surface in which a bulge is continuously formed along the identification line; a guiding section disposed such that the bulge faces the nozzle surface; a gas jetting port that applies gas to the curved surface; and a gas suction port that sucks the gas ejected from the gas jetting port and guided along the curved surface, wherein, as viewed from the direction perpendicular to the nozzle surface, the identification line which is the set of upper end points on the bulge on the curved surface intersects with the edges of the nozzle surface at an oblique angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Fukada, Teiichi Kimura
  • Patent number: 9079428
    Abstract: A printing system for printing on a print medium is disclosed. A linehead is disposed opposite a first side of the print medium, the linehead defining one or more print zones where a liquid is jetted onto the print medium. One or more vacuum transport rollers having a porous sleeve rotatable around a non-rotating core are disposed adjacent to a second side of the print medium and opposite the linehead. At least one of the vacuum transport rollers is aligned with one of the print zones of the linehead. The rotatable porous sleeve is engaged by the moving print medium that exerts a force on the porous sleeve, causing it to rotate. The core includes a vacuum manifold that outputs a vacuum force that operates on the print medium through the porous sleeve to deflect the print medium and causes the print medium to wrap around the vacuum transport roller(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Michael J. Piatt, James A. Katerberg, Randy D. Vandagriff
  • Patent number: 9073352
    Abstract: In a printer, a continuous paper is conveyed using a suction force of a fan brought to a first suction force, the continuous paper supplied to a platen is stopped on a support surface, a recording process is conducted on the continuous paper stopped on the support surface with the suction force of the fan changed to a second suction force greater than the first suction force, and the continuous paper is conveyed after the suction force of the fan has been reduced below the second suction force back to the first suction force during the recording process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 9067438
    Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a conveyance belt, an air intake portion, and a charging member. The conveyance belt has a sheet placing surface on which a sheet is placed and a plurality of belt openings penetrating the sheet placing surface, and conveys the sheet placed on the sheet placing surface. The air intake portion draws air from a side of a back surface opposite to the sheet placing surface through the belt openings. The charging member has a surface which is shaped in such a manner as to contact the sheet placing surface while avoiding the belt openings and charges the sheet placing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Tomohisa Soda
  • Patent number: 9050835
    Abstract: A method for printing on a print medium is disclosed. The method includes providing a linehead defining one or more print zones and adapted to jet liquid onto the print medium. One or more vacuum transport rollers having a porous sleeve rotatable around a non-rotating core are also provided. At least one vacuum transport roller is disposed adjacent to the second side of the movable print medium, opposite the first linehead, and aligned with a print zone. The core includes a vacuum manifold that outputs a vacuum force that operates on the print medium through the porous sleeve. The print medium is moved through the printing system and a vacuum force deflects the print medium, causing an increase in a wrap angle of the print medium around the vacuum transport roller. Liquid is jetted from the linehead onto the print medium to form a print.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Michael J. Piatt, James A. Katerberg, Randy D. Vandagriff
  • Patent number: 9039164
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head which ejects liquid toward a recording medium; a rib which projects in a direction toward the liquid ejecting head, and includes a support portion for supporting the recording medium; a detection target portion which is provided at a position lower than the support portion; a lower side portion located at a position lower than the detection target portion; a light emitting unit which irradiates the detection target portion with light rays; a light receiving unit which receives reflected light rays resulting from reflection of the light rays with which the detection target portion is irradiated, convers the received reflected light rays into photocurrent, and outputs the photocurrent as an output voltage; and a sensitivity setting unit which causes the light emitting unit to irradiate the detection target portion with light rays and sets the sensitivity of the light receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Hanamura
  • Patent number: 9022553
    Abstract: A printer has a paper feed roller and a pressure roller on the upstream side of a platen in the paper feed direction. These rollers nip the continuous paper at a nipping position. When the pressure roller bends down due to pressure from the paper feed roller, the pressure roller moves on a curved path centered on a pivot point of a paper pressing lever. The nipping position of the continuous paper therefore follows the downward movement of the paper feed roller and moves to the side away from the platen along the outside surface of the paper feed roller. The slope ? of the tangent to the nipping position therefore changes, the leading end of the continuous paper conveyed to the platen side rises, and slack in the continuous paper is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiko Yamada
  • Patent number: 9010925
    Abstract: A system and method prints on a continuous web of imaging material in a printing machine. One or more inkjet printheads deposit ink on the continuous web of imaging material which is supported by rollers along a transport path. An air film device is disposed between rollers to stabilize flatness the transported web during printing. Undesirable dynamic movement of the web toward or away from the printheads resulting from fluttering, troughing or catenary sag of the web is reduced to minimize drop placement error in both cross-track and process directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Roger G. Leighton, Michael F. Leo
  • Patent number: 8991999
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head that ejects liquid to be cured by receiving irradiation of an electromagnetic wave onto a medium; a provisional-curing irradiation section that emits a first electromagnetic wave to a dot formed on the medium by the liquid; and a main-curing irradiation section that emits a second electromagnetic wave, which has irradiation intensity higher than that of the first electromagnetic wave, to the dot to which the first electromagnetic wave is emitted. When the main-curing irradiation section emits the second electromagnetic wave, a dot forming surface of the medium faces the lower side in the direction of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazutoshi Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 8991960
    Abstract: A method of compensating for bi-directional alignment error in a printing system including a carriage, a print head disposed thereon, and a bi-directional printing mode includes determining a data set by a data set determination module corresponding to bi-directional alignment error at a plurality of carriage speeds. The method also includes determining a line of best fit of the data set by a best fit determination module and identifying a flight time of fluid ejected from the print head and a carriage position error of the carriage from the line of best fit by an alignment parameter identification module. The method also includes compensating for the bi-directional alignment error by an error compensation module based on the flight time and the carriage position error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Greg Hargis, Yifeng Wu
  • Patent number: 8992004
    Abstract: A system and method for printing on a continuous web of imaging material in an inkjet printing machine having a turnbar reverser to reverse the direction of the web for duplex printing. The turnbar reverser includes at least one turnbar having a predetermined pattern of apertures formed in a surface of the turnbar. The optimized apertures direct a flow of air provided by a blower to provide an air flow to float the web above the surface of the turnbar, allow for higher operating tensions, and reduce acoustic noise generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Roger G. Leighton, Kevin Cole
  • Patent number: 8967793
    Abstract: A sheet transport device includes: a sheet transporting unit that transports a sheet; a sheet guiding member that is divided into plural member portions and guides the sheet transported from the sheet transporting unit; and a common locating member that is arranged on sides of the sheet guiding member which sandwich the member portions of the sheet guiding member, and collectively locates and holds the member portions of the sheet guiding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuichiro Maeyama
  • Patent number: 8926045
    Abstract: A recording device has a medium-supporting part that supports a long recording medium, a recording processing part that performs recording process on the recording medium supported by the medium-supporting part, a recording processing part conveyance system that moves the recording processing part, a medium conveyance system that includes a first drive roller, a first drive motor, a second drive roller and a second drive motor, and a control unit that controls the recording device. The control unit retracts the recording processing part to an area outside of the medium-supporting part while maintaining the movement direction of the recording processing part at a time at which an abnormality has occurred in an interval in which the recording processing is carried out on the recording medium while the recording processing part scans above the recording medium by the recording processing part conveyance system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Daiki Tokushima
  • Patent number: 8899740
    Abstract: A print medium conveyance device 40 has a tractor 44, conveyance roller 55, and clutch mechanism 83. The tractor 44 sequentially engages engagement holes formed in a line in the medium and conveys the print medium in a specific conveyance direction X. The conveyance roller 55 is disposed downstream from the tractor 44 in the conveyance direction X, and has a friction layer 59 containing an inorganic particle dispersion formed on the surface. the clutch mechanism 83 is between the conveyance motor 72 and tractor 44, and interrupts transfer of drive power from the conveyance motor 72 to the tractor 44 at least in part under a specific condition. The print medium can therefore be conveyed with high precision while damage to the print medium by excessive tension can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Ebina, Tomohisa Shirakawa
  • Patent number: 8870362
    Abstract: An inkjet printer (1) has an inkjet head (7), a paper conveyance path (6) that conveys tractor feed paper (2) passed the printing position P of the inkjet head (7), and a pair of paper edge covers (21L, 21R) disposed on the opposite sides of the conveyance path portion passing the printing position P of the paper conveyance path (6). The paper edge covers (21L, 21R) are covers that cover and hide the edge portions (2L, 2R) where the sprocket holes (2a) of the tractor feed paper (2) conveyed passed the printing position P are formed from the inkjet head (7). The paper edge covers (21L, 21R) can reliably prevent problems such as nozzle clogging caused by paper dust from the sprocket holes (2a) at the edges of the tractor feed paper (2) clinging to the nozzle face (7a) of the inkjet head (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Kawasaki, Masataka Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 8870366
    Abstract: A medium loading apparatus includes supporting units that are attached to both end portions of roll paper, a loading unit that is loaded with the roll paper to which the supporting units are attached, and a rotational force transfer unit that is arranged on the loading unit so as to be opposed to a shaft rotating member constituting the supporting unit in the axial line direction of the roll paper and transfers a rotational force of a motor to the shaft rotating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shoji Akatsu, Akira Mashima, Tomoya Murotani, Yoshitaka Shimada