Patents Examined by Tracey McMillion
  • Patent number: 8864261
    Abstract: A nozzle discharge quantity correction method includes performing correction quantity calculation as the number of the nozzle array units in stages such that a total sum C of the weight of droplets in nozzle array units after correction and the weight of the droplets in other nozzle array units in which discharge is performed on the discharge region becomes a previously set predetermined quantity B based on the difference between the total sum A of the weight of all the droplets discharged to a discharge region when the weight of the droplets discharged from a nozzle are not corrected and the predetermined quantity B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Kitabayashi
  • Patent number: 8864301
    Abstract: A rotary member support apparatus includes a rotary member configured to receive a force in a radial direction and having at a rotation center a cylindrical bearing portion, and a support shaft to be inserted into the bearing portion, wherein the support shaft is formed so as to have at least two protrusions including curved surfaces internally touching the bearing portion of the rotary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasufumi Tanaami
  • Patent number: 8864268
    Abstract: To prevent uneven gloss on a printed image in a printing apparatus in which light-curable ink is used, a printing apparatus is provided. The printing apparatus includes a controller controls medium-conveying parts for conveying a medium so that the medium supplied from an upstream side is released on a downstream side; nozzles for discharging ink droplets cured by light irradiation onto the medium; a light-irradiation part for irradiating the medium with light; and medium-deforming parts arranged on the downstream side of the nozzles, holding the medium from the front and back, and deforming the medium so that an irregular shape is formed in cross section; the medium is conveyed downstream by the medium-conveying parts after the medium is deformed by the medium-deforming parts; droplets of ink are discharged from the nozzles to form an image on the surface of the medium; and the ink droplets discharged onto the medium are irradiated with light by the light-irradiation part to cure the droplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Tanase, Toru Takahashi, Takamitsu Kondo, Hiroshi Wada
  • Patent number: 8851600
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes: a paper conveying device which conveys paper; a line-type inkjet head which performs image formation on the paper by ejecting ink droplets to the paper conveyed by the paper conveying device; a paper conveyance speed measuring device which measures a paper conveyance speed of the paper at the image formation by the inkjet head; a dot arrangement data acquiring device which acquires data for arranging dots to form an image by the inkjet head on the paper conveyed at a predetermined paper conveyance speed; a dot arrangement data adjusting device which adjusts the data for arranging dots in accordance with the paper conveyance speed measured by the paper conveyance speed measuring device so that the image is formed on the paper with a constant image density even when the paper conveyance speed varies; and a head drive controlling device which controls drive of the inkjet head in accordance with the adjusted data for arranging dots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kanji Nagashima
  • Patent number: 8851665
    Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including an apparatus main body provided with a recording unit which performs recording on a recording medium, an extension unit provided with a containing unit of the recording medium, which is detachably attached to a lower portion of the apparatus main body on a side of a weight direction of the apparatus main body, main body legs which are provided on the lower portion of the apparatus main body and are in contact with a placement surface when the apparatus main body is placed on the placement surface, and gap forming members which are provided in the extension unit, have higher rigidity exhibiting less compressional deformation as compared with the main body legs, and form a gap between the lower portion of the apparatus main body and the extension unit while being in contact with the lower portion of the apparatus main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Katsumi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8840235
    Abstract: The inventions relates to a print head for printing optical structures on a substrate comprising an ejection device for ejecting at least one droplet of a printing ink towards the substrate and a curing device for curing the at least one deposited droplet, wherein the curing device comprises at least one UV-LED (ultraviolet emitting light-emitting diode).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Luxexcel Holding BV.
    Inventor: Kurt Blessing
  • Patent number: 8840241
    Abstract: A system and method for adjusting an electrostatic field in a print zone of an inkjet printer. The printer includes an electrostatic tacking device to hold a sheet of recording media to a transport belt moving through the print zone for imaging with one or more inkjet printheads. A sensor determines the electrostatic field before the print zone and adjusts the electrostatic field with a corotron disposed after the tacking device and before the print zone. Reduction of the electrostatic field in the print zone can reduce imaging errors resulting from electrostatic fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald Fletcher, Joannes N. M. de Jong, Peter J. Knausdorf
  • Patent number: 8827408
    Abstract: A recording device includes a conveying part that conveys roll paper, a support part that supports the roll paper, a suction part that holds the roll paper to the support part by suction, a recording part that ejects liquid and records an image on the roll paper, a heating part that heats the support part to dry the liquid, and a controller that causes the suction part to use a first suction force to hold the roll paper to the support part by suction when the recording part performs a recording action for recording the image, and causes the suction part to use a second suction force, which is weaker than the first suction force, to hold the roll paper to the support part by suction when the recording part is not performing the recording action for recording the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiro Toya
  • Patent number: 8827439
    Abstract: A media perforator for a printer disables ink from adhering to a perforation disk of the perforator. The media perforator includes a heater that applies radiant heat to a first side and a reverse side of rotating disk. The disk is heated to a predetermined temperature that prevents ink from adhering to the rotating disk as the rotating disk spins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas K. Herrmann
  • Patent number: 8820873
    Abstract: A printing apparatus: the medium-conveying part conveying the medium; the nozzles discharging ink droplets curable by light irradiation onto the medium; the light-irradiation part irradiating the medium with light; the medium-deforming part being arranged on the downstream side of the light-irradiation part, holding the medium from the front and back, and deforming the medium so that an irregular shape is formed in cross section; the controller performing an image-forming step, a light-irradiating step, and a medium-deforming step; in the image-forming step, the ink droplets being discharged by the nozzles to form an image on the surface of the medium; in the light-irradiating step, the ink droplets discharged onto the medium being irradiated with light by the light-irradiation part to cure the droplets; and in the medium-deforming step, the medium being released by the medium-conveying part after the medium is deformed by the medium-deforming part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Tanase, Toru Takahashi, Takamitsu Kondo, Hiroshi Wada
  • Patent number: 8820879
    Abstract: A recording device includes a conveying part that conveys roll paper, a support part that supports the roll paper, a recording part that that ejects liquid and records an image on the roll paper; a heating part that heats the support part to dry the liquid discharged on the roll paper, a cleaning part that cleans the recording part, and a controller that causes the conveying part to convey the roll paper at a first speed when the recording part performs a recording action for recording the image, and causes the conveying part to convey the roll paper at a second speed, which is slower than the first speed, after the cleaning part performs a cleaning action for cleaning the recording part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiro Toya
  • Patent number: 8814311
    Abstract: A inkjet printer includes an ejection head, a curing-light-emitting part, a head retaining part, a relative scanning part, a drive output detecting part, and a curing-light-emission-control part. The ejection head ejects a photocuring liquid onto a printing medium retained by a medium retaining part. The curing-light-emitting part emits curing light onto the printing medium. The head retaining part retains the ejection head and the curing light emitting part. The relative scanning part performs relative movement of the head retaining part and the medium retaining part. The drive output detecting part detects an output of a drive source of the relative scanning part. The curing-light-emission-control part controls the curing-light-emitting part based on a detection result from the drive output detecting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Akiyama, Ryoichi Nozawa
  • Patent number: 8814312
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first paper feed unit configured to feed a primary recording medium for double-sided printing; a second paper feed unit configured to feed a secondary recording medium for single-sided printing; a printing unit configured to perform sets of printing based on received job information, each of the sets of printing including double-sided printing on a first predetermined number of primary recording media and single-sided printing on a second predetermined number of secondary recording media; a print timing setting unit configured to set a print timing of each of the first print media and the second print media based on the first predetermined number and the second predetermined number; and a controller configured to perform control to transfer the primary recording media and the secondary recording media to the printing unit based on the print timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Hara, Masahiro Nishihata
  • Patent number: 8807739
    Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including an apparatus main body including a first placement portion on which a recording medium is placed, a recording unit which performs recording on the recording medium, and a first transport path through which the recording medium is transported from the first placement portion to the recording unit, an extension unit including a second placement portion, which is detachably attached to the apparatus main body, on which the recording medium is placed, and a second transport path capable of communicating from the second placement portion to the first transport path of the apparatus main body, and a detachable member detachably provided in the apparatus main body and exposing at least a part of the second transport path when detached from the apparatus main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Katsumi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8807700
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device including: a fluid ejection head having a nozzle surface in which fluid ejection nozzles are arrayed; a head cap that covers the nozzle surface; a fluid storage unit in which an ejection fluid that is ejected from the nozzles of the fluid ejection head is stored; a moisturizing fluid supply unit that supplies to the head cap a moisturizing fluid that keeps the head cap moist; a moisturizing fluid storage unit that stores the moisturizing fluid supplied to the head cap from the moisturizing fluid supply unit; and a moisturizing fluid supply control unit that controls the amount of moisturizing fluid supplied to the head cap after the ejection fluid stored in the fluid storage unit reaches a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyoteru Katsuki
  • Patent number: 8801169
    Abstract: A nail print apparatus including a dividing wall; a first finger inserting section which is provided in one space divided by the dividing wall and in which a finger is inserted; a print head which is provided in the one space divided by the dividing wall and performs printing on a nail part of the finger inserted in the first finger inserting section; a second finger inserting section which is provided in other space divided by the dividing wall and in which a finger is inserted; and a blowing section which blows air into the first finger inserting section and into the second finger inserting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 8801129
    Abstract: A method for operating a jetting module includes applying to a drop forming mechanism a sequence of drop formation waveforms in which a small-drop waveform applied after another identical small-drop waveform causes a small drop of volume Vs to be formed; applying a large-drop waveform after another identical large-drop waveform causes a large drop of volume VL to be formed, and applying a large-drop waveform adjacent to a small-drop waveform can be done in a way that produces a large drop having a volume VL2, where VL2 is different than VL and a small drop of volume VS2, where VS2 is different than Vs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert Link, James Lee Bello, Todd Russell Griffin
  • Patent number: 8794734
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a flow channel forming substrate made of silicon and having pressure generating chambers that communicate with nozzles through which liquid is ejected, a piezoelectric elements that is disposed on the flow channel forming substrate so as to oppose the pressure generating chambers and varies a pressure of a liquid in the pressure generating chambers, and a protective substrate which has a holding section that houses the pressure generating unit and is bonded to a side of the flow channel forming substrate where the pressure generating unit is disposed, and the flow channel member is made of silicon and is provided with a thermistor that is disposed on a side of the flow channel member opposite to the flow channel forming substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshige Owaki
  • Patent number: 8794735
    Abstract: Provided is a printing apparatus for printing an image on a medium, which is transported in a transport direction, by forming dots by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles while moving the nozzles in an intersecting direction that intersects the transport direction. The printing apparatus has a first printing mode for printing a mirror image of a predetermined image as the image on the medium and a second printing mode for printing a positive image of a predetermined image as the image on the medium, the medium being a transparent medium. The first printing mode is different from the second printing mode in at least one of a transportation operation of transporting the medium and a dot-forming operation of forming the dots by ejecting ink while moving the nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenori Usuda, Shinichi Kamoshida, Mitsuaki Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 8783856
    Abstract: A printer includes: a transport unit that transports a roll of transparent medium; a first nozzles ejecting ink to form a color image; and a second nozzles ejecting ink to form a background image. When a plurality of printed images to be formed by overlapping the color image and the background image continue to be printed on the medium and when the background image of the printed image is located on the outside of the color image in a case where the medium is wound in the roll shape, a confirmation image formed by overlapping the color image and the background image is printed on an end portion of the medium to be wound in the roll shape so that at least a part of the color image is located on the outside of the background image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotaka Matsunaga