Patents Examined by Yaovi M Ameh
  • Patent number: 11938746
    Abstract: Provided are an image forming device that always forms an image with an optimum treatment quality, and a manufacturing method of a printed material. An image forming device includes a transport unit that transports a recording medium in a transport direction, a printing unit that applies an ink to a printing surface of the transported recording medium to perform printing, a treatment unit that performs treatment on the transported recording medium, and a movement unit that changes a distance between the printing unit and the treatment unit in the transport direction, in which the distance is controlled based on at least one information of information on a transportation speed of the recording medium in the transport unit, information on an applied amount of the ink in the printing unit, or information on a surface state of the printing surface of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Yamanobe
  • Patent number: 11934135
    Abstract: A recording medium transport device includes: a circulating member that forms a part of a transport path for transporting a recording medium; a holding member that is fixed to the circulating member and thereby circulates and holds a front end portion of the recording medium; plural transport cylinders around which the circulating member is suspended and having a recessed part in which the holding member is stored; and a selection part that selects any one of the plural transport cylinders. A mode for stopping the selected one of the plural transport cylinders so that the recessed part of the selected one of the plural transport cylinders is located at a maintenance position is prepared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventors: Takayuki Ukawa, Mitsuhiro Matsumoto, Hideki Kuge, Takayuki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11932012
    Abstract: A method of inkjet printer operation produces a sneeze pattern having a uniform sneeze pattern portion and a tapered area portion within the uniform sneeze pattern to operate inkjets in the printer to eject ink drops within an image area of media sheets passing through the printer to maintain the operational status of the inkjets. A dynamic threshold is applied to a portion of an uniform sneeze pattern to produce the tapered area within the uniform sneeze pattern. The dynamic threshold is changed as a function of distance between a pixel in the portion of the uniform sneeze pattern and the closest edge of an image area of the media sheet on which the tapered area of the sneeze pattern is to be printed. A second threshold can also be changed to alter a volume of ink associated with a pixel in the tapered area within the uniform sneeze pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony S. Condello, Stuart A. Schweid, Seemit Praharaj, John T. Newell
  • Patent number: 11932030
    Abstract: An inkjet printer is described. The inkjet printer has a gas cushion substrate support having a metal support surface; a print assembly with a dispenser having ejection nozzles facing the support surface; a gas source fluidly coupled to the gas cushion substrate support by a gas conduit; and a thermal control system coupled to the gas conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
    Inventors: Digby Pun, Cormac McKinley Wicklow, Christopher Buchner, Alexander Sou-Kang Ko
  • Patent number: 11919307
    Abstract: A single pass inkjet printer that utilizes a modular printing system with one or more self-contained printing modules, where each printing module is easy to remove and replace from a large printing machine, thus resulting in an overall system that is easy to service and maintain Each module is a self-contained printer including an ink supply, printhead drive electronics, and printhead assembly in order to provide one color or fluid of inkjet printing capability. Each module includes a precise three-point compliant self-aligning mount system to obtain accurate printhead positioning, and a unique integrated printhead tending system that includes a compact movable vacuum knife for cleaning the printheads, and a printhead capping station for sealing and protecting the printheads from the ambient environment when not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Prototype and Production Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Willard Charles Raymond, Charles Carlson Langford, Nathan Albert Bergman, Michael Laurence Beauchene, Anthony David Kaufhold, Richard Charles Raymond, Nicholas Todd Mann
  • Patent number: 11919319
    Abstract: Wherein, in the first dither mask, when the first space is cut by the first plane, a plurality of threshold values in the first plane has a blue noise characteristic in the spatial frequency domain, and when the first space is cut by a second plane extending in a direction different from that of the first plane, a plurality of threshold values in the second plane has a blue noise characteristic in the spatial frequency domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Utsunomiya, Satoshi Yamazaki, Nobuaki Ito
  • Patent number: 11919292
    Abstract: There is provided an ink discharging apparatus including a controller which controls conveying speed of a recording medium so that a cumulative heating amount received per unit area of the recording medium from a heater is in a range of 0.7 J/cm2 to 2.9 J/cm2. A water-based ink included in the ink discharging apparatus contains a first water-soluble organic solvent of which saturated vapor pressure at 20° C. is 0.03 hPa to 2.20 hPa. The first water-soluble organic solvent is contained in a range of 10% by mass to 40% by mass. A content amount of a second water-soluble organic solvent, of which saturated vapor pressure at 20° C. is greater than 2.20 hPa, is less than 3% by mass; and a content amount of a third water-soluble organic solvent, of which saturated vapor pressure at 20° C. is less than 0.03 hPa, is less than 10% by mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11912042
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to obtaining an object having an anisotropic reflection characteristic without using a lenticular lens. A print product including a print medium on which a repetitive structure of projected portions and recessed portions is formed out of image forming materials including a color material includes a first layer formed on surfaces of the projected portions out of a first color material among the image forming materials, and a second layer formed on the recessed portions out of a second color material different from the first color material, wherein the projected portions have a height to occlude part of the second layer when observed at an angle different from an angle formed by a normal to a surface of the print medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Kubo
  • Patent number: 11897276
    Abstract: An artificial textured stone slab and methods for manufacturing thereof, the method comprising the following steps: Step S01: using a printer to print an image in accordance with the size of an artificial stone slab to arrive at a print of the image; Step S02: placing the front face of the print onto a side of the artificial stone slab and smoothing out the print on the artificial stone slab; Step S03: feeding the artificial stone attached to the print into a heat and ink transferring machine and using the upper and lower clamp plates of the heat and ink transferring machine to tightly clamp the print to the artificial stone slab; Step S04: heating the artificial stone slab to 120° C. to 185° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventor: Guoxing Ding
  • Patent number: 11890876
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge configured to be inserted into a cartridge attachment section includes: a cartridge body having a liquid storage chamber, and a liquid supply portion configured to supply the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to an outside. The liquid supply portion includes: a front end face facing frontward, an outer peripheral surface extending rearward from the front end face, and at least one guide provided at the outer peripheral surface. Each of the at least one guide is guided by corresponding at least one projection of the cartridge attachment section during attachment of a liquid supply tube of the cartridge attachment section to the liquid supply portion at a time of attachment of the liquid cartridge to the cartridge attachment section. Each of the at least one guide includes: a first guide portion, and a second guide portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihito Ono, Akinari Ishibe
  • Patent number: 11890872
    Abstract: An aerosol jet printer producing a stream of droplets in a print jet employs direct, droplet-resolving imaging to characterize the statistics of the droplets in flight for improved control of the printed line characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Joseph Andrews, Scott Sanders, Mario Trujillo
  • Patent number: 11891330
    Abstract: The system and methods for marking an optical fiber with color-coded marks disclosed herein include forming closely spaced multiple ink streams, with at least two of the ink streams having different colors. The optical fiber moves over a fiber path that resides adjacent the ink streams. The fiber path and the ink streams are made to briefly intersect so that the ink streams form on the outer surface of the optical fiber a group of spaced apart individual marks, wherein the group of individual marks constitute a color-coded mark. Repeating this marking process at different times as the fiber moves over the fiber path forms spaced apart color-coded marks along the length of the fiber. Subsequent drying and overcoating of the marks fixes and protects the color-coded marks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Aditya Kaimal, Kelvin Nguyen, Darren Andrew Stainer
  • Patent number: 11884082
    Abstract: According to one or more embodiments, a motor driving device includes a first substrate, a motor drive circuit, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a controller. The first substrate is connected to a motor via a first wiring. The motor drive circuit is provided on the first substrate. The first temperature sensor is provided on the first substrate and detects a first temperature of the motor drive circuit. The second temperature sensor detects a second temperature of an ambient environment where the motor is being used. The controller controls the motor drive circuit based on the first temperature from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature from the second temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoyuki Hattori
  • Patent number: 11884077
    Abstract: A printing-fluid cartridge is inserted into a printing-fluid consuming apparatus in an insertion direction crossing a gravitational direction and attached thereto in a first posture. The printing-fluid cartridge includes: a storage chamber, a supply portion having a supply port, an upper surface and a locking surface positioned upward of the storage chamber, an electrical interface disposed at the upper surface, and a contact surface positioned rearward relative to the supply port of the supply portion in the insertion direction in the first posture. The printing-fluid cartridge inserted in the printing-fluid consuming apparatus is movable between the first posture and a second posture. In the first posture, the locking surface engages a lock portion and the contact surface abuts against a positioning portion. In the second posture, the locking surface is positioned downward relative to the lock portion and the contact surface is separated from the positioning portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Suguru Tomoguchi
  • Patent number: 11884087
    Abstract: A tape cartridge includes: a tape-like member including a tape body having a first edge located in a first direction, which is one side in a width direction of the tape body, and a detection projection portion projecting in the first direction from the first edge so as to be detected by the detecting portion and having a detection end at an end thereof in the first direction; a guide portion that guides feeding of the tape-like member such that the tape-like member curves along a peripheral surface of a platen roller for feeding the tape-like member; and a contact portion that makes contact with the detection end at a position where the tape-like member curves along the peripheral surface of the platen roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mizuki Bizen
  • Patent number: 11878520
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described herein for measurement of droplets dispensed from a printhead of an inkjet printer onto a substrate. An inkjet printer described herein comprises a printhead assembly comprising a printhead and an imaging system, the imaging system comprising a camera and a strobed LED source; and a deposition unit for positioning a substrate to receive droplets dispensed from the printhead and for imaging the droplets using the imaging system and the strobed LED source. Methods described herein comprise dispensing droplets of a liquid from a printhead of a printhead assembly of an inkjet printer onto a substrate; positioning the substrate with respect to an imaging system coupled to the printhead assembly, the imaging system comprising a camera and an LED light source; and imaging the droplets on the substrate by relatively scanning the substrate and the imaging system and strobing the LED light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Kateeva, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerry Chang
  • Patent number: 11878536
    Abstract: A printer includes a printer head configured to operate in a normal mode for printing print data on a medium with at least one of a designated size or a designated thickness of a character, and a size change mode or a thickness change mode for printing the print data on the medium with a size or thickness of the character being greater than the designated size or the designated thickness, respectively. The printer also includes a sensor configured to detect a printing density of a printing pattern. The printer also includes a processor configured to acquire print data, print the printing pattern, the printing pattern being set in advance, and set an operation mode of the printer head to one of the size change mode or the thickness change mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Inaba
  • Patent number: 11873410
    Abstract: An ink set includes an inkjet ink and a recording head filling liquid. The inkjet ink contains a pigment, water, and 1,2-alkanediol with a carbon number of at least 7 or 8. The recording head filling liquid contains a specific surfactant, water, and a specific alcohol compound with a carbon number of at least 10 and no greater than 12. The specific surfactant has an HLB value of no greater than 5.0. An amount of content of the specific alcohol compound in the recording head filling liquid is at least 0.1 ppm and no greater than 1.0 ppm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Noriaki Ozawa
  • Patent number: 11872827
    Abstract: An ink for ink jet recording according to an embodiment is an ink for ink jet recording containing pigment, colloidal silica, amine, and amino acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventors: Soichi Yamazaki, Shunsuke Uchizono, Hiroaki Kumeta
  • Patent number: 11866592
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to ink compositions for digital printing on an external surface of a plastic article. The ink compositions comprise an ink removal-promoting additive. In some aspects, the ink removal-promoting additive can facilitate the separation or loosening of the image from the external surface of the article when the image is exposed to a liquid-based solution at an elevated temperature. Also disclosed are recyclable plastic articles having an external surface with an image printed thereon using the disclosed ink composition and methods for removing cured ink from a plastic container. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Plastipak Packaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald L. Uptergrove, Jennifer L. Renner