Patents by Inventor David A. Tence
David A. Tence has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10118390Abstract: An inkjet print head including a plurality of single jet elements. Each of the single jet elements includes an aperture configured to eject ink during a jetting event, and a channel for receiving ink, the channeling including a recirculation portion configured to receive ink during a non-jetting event. The print head also includes a first manifold structured to supply ink to the channel, and a second manifold structured to receive ink from the recirculation portion of the channel. The ink flows from the inlet portion to the second outlet portion during non-jetting through the second outlet portion.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2017Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: XEROX CORPORATIONInventors: Terrance L. Stephens, David A. Tence, Ryan J. Evens
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Publication number: 20180056647Abstract: An inkjet print head including a plurality of single jet elements. Each of the single jet elements includes an aperture configured to eject ink during a jetting event, and a channel for receiving ink, the channeling including a recirculation portion configured to receive ink during a non-jetting event. The print head also includes a first manifold structured to supply ink to the channel, and a second manifold structured to receive ink from the recirculation portion of the channel. The ink flows from the inlet portion to the second outlet portion during non-jetting through the second outlet portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2017Publication date: March 1, 2018Inventors: Terrance L. Stephens, David A. Tence, Ryan J. Evens
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Publication number: 20170282544Abstract: An inkjet print head including a plurality of single jet elements. Each of the single jet elements includes an aperture configured to eject ink during a jetting event, and a channel for receiving ink, the channeling including a recirculation portion configured to receive ink during a non-jetting event. The print head also includes a first manifold structured to supply ink to the channel, and a second manifold structured to receive ink from the recirculation portion of the channel. The ink flows from the inlet portion to the second outlet portion during non-jetting through the second outlet portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2016Publication date: October 5, 2017Inventors: Terrance L. Stephens, David A. Tence, Ryan J. Evens
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Patent number: 9694582Abstract: An inkjet print head including a plurality of single jet elements. Each single jet element includes an aperture configured to eject ink during a jetting event, a channel for receiving ink. The inkjet print head also includes a first manifold structured to supply ink to the channel; and a plurality of recirculation paths. Each recirculation path configured to receive ink during the jetting event and a non-jetting event. Each recirculation path includes a recirculation channel connected to the channel for receiving ink, the recirculation channel is formed by half-etching one of the steel plates that forms part of the each of the single jet elements and the recirculation paths, and a second manifold structured to receive ink from the recirculation channel. The ink flows from the first manifold to the second manifold through each of the plurality of single jet elements and the recirculation paths during a non-jetting event.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2016Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: XEROX CORPORATIONInventors: Terrance L. Stephens, David A. Tence, Ryan J. Evens
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Patent number: 9541445Abstract: An optical sensor enables a level of reflective fluid to be detected. The optical sensor includes a prism mounted at one end of a housing. The prism has an exterior surface that is parallel to the end of the housing and a width that corresponds to a width of the end of the housing. A photoemitter and a photodetector are mounted at another end of the housing to enable light emitted by the photoemitter to be reflected by the prism when the prism contacts reflective fluid and to enable light emitted by the photoemitter to pass out of the sensor when the prism is in contact with air.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2015Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: David A. Tence, Matthew D. Savoy, David B. Tait
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Publication number: 20160298997Abstract: An optical sensor enables a level of reflective fluid to be detected. The optical sensor includes a prism mounted at one end of a housing. The prism has an exterior surface that is parallel to the end of the housing and a width that corresponds to a width of the end of the housing. A photoemitter and a photodetector are mounted at another end of the housing to enable light emitted by the photoemitter to be reflected by the prism when the prism contacts reflective fluid and to enable light emitted by the photoemitter to pass out of the sensor when the prism is in contact with air.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2015Publication date: October 13, 2016Inventors: David A. Tence, Matthew D. Savoy, David B. Tait
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Patent number: 8662616Abstract: A method of operating a printer enables the mass of the ink drops ejected by the printheads in the printer to maintained in an optimal range without measuring the drop mass being ejected by the inkjets in the printheads. After calibration of the printheads, the printheads are operated with electrical signals having different peak-to-peak voltages. The number of inoperable inkjets for each printhead is determined from image data of the ejected ink on the image receiving member and the number of inoperable inkjets for each printhead is compared to a predetermined threshold. The peak-to-peak voltage for the electrical signals used to operate a printhead is adjusted with reference to the number of inoperable inkjets and the predetermined threshold.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2011Date of Patent: March 4, 2014Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: Christine Ann Steurrys, David A. Tence, James D. Buehler, Yeqing Zhang, Jeffrey J. Folkins
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Patent number: 8439486Abstract: A method of assembly produces a printhead having a polymer aperture plate and outlet plate that are at least 25 mm in length. The method includes bonding the polymer aperture plate to the outlet plate, which is configured with outlets. A laser is aligned with the outlets in the outlet plate to ablate apertures in the polymer aperture plate and the outlet plate is bonded to an inkjet stack to couple the outlets in the outlet plate to pressure chambers in a body plate in the inkjet stack.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2012Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: John R. Andrews, David A. Tence, Terrance Lee Stephens
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Publication number: 20130113855Abstract: A method of operating a printer enables the mass of the ink drops ejected by the printheads in the printer to maintained in an optimal range without measuring the drop mass being ejected by the inkjets in the printheads. After calibration of the printheads, the printheads are operated with electrical signals having different peak-to-peak voltages. The number of inoperable inkjets for each printhead is determined from image data of the ejected ink on the image receiving member and the number of inoperable inkjets for each printhead is compared to a predetermined threshold. The peak-to-peak voltage for the electrical signals used to operate a printhead is adjusted with reference to the number of inoperable inkjets and the predetermined threshold.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2011Publication date: May 9, 2013Applicant: XEROX CORPORATIONInventors: Christine Ann Steurrys, David A. Tence, James D. Buehler, Yeqing Zhang, Jeffrey J. Folkins
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Publication number: 20120247659Abstract: A method of assembly produces a printhead having a polymer aperture plate and outlet plate that are at least 25 mm in length. The method includes bonding the polymer aperture plate to the outlet plate, which is configured with outlets. A laser is aligned with the outlets in the outlet plate to ablate apertures in the polymer aperture plate and the outlet plate is bonded to an inkjet stack to couple the outlets in the outlet plate to pressure chambers in a body plate in the inkjet stack.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2012Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: XEROX CORPORATIONInventors: John R. Andrews, David A. Tence, Terrance Lee Stephens
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Patent number: 8240818Abstract: A method forms apertures in a polymer aperture plate configured for use in a piezoelectric print head. The method includes bonding a polymer aperture plate to an outlet plate configured with outlets, and aligning a laser with the outlets in the outlet plate to ablate apertures in the polymer aperture plate that are aligned with the outlets.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2009Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Xerox CorporationInventors: John R. Andrews, David A. Tence, Terrance Lee Stephens
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Publication number: 20110148993Abstract: A method forms apertures in a polymer aperture plate configured for use in a piezoelectric print head. The method includes bonding a polymer aperture plate to an outlet plate configured with outlets, and aligning a laser with the outlets in the outlet plate to ablate apertures in the polymer aperture plate that are aligned with the outlets.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2009Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: XEROX CORPORATIONInventors: John R. Andrews, David A. Tence, Terrance Lee Stephens
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Publication number: 20100045740Abstract: A printer fluid dispensing subassembly has a fluid dispensing body having at least one transducer and at least one ink channel, and a compliant polymer aperture film having an array of apertures to direct fluid toward a substrate, the polymer aperture film bonded to the fluid dispensing body as an external layer of the fluid dispensing body, the polymer aperture film arranged to form a wall of a manifold in the fluid dispensing body and to attenuate acoustic energy. A printer fluid dispensing subassembly has a compliant polymer aperture film having an array of apertures to allow fluid to exit the fluid dispensing subassembly, and a fluid dispensing body bonded to a back surface of the polymer aperture film such that the polymer aperture film forms a wall of a fluid manifold, the film being arranged such that a side of the polymer opposite the fluid dispensing body is air.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2008Publication date: February 25, 2010Applicant: XEROX CORPORATIONInventors: John R. Andrews, Terrance L. Stephens, David A. Tence
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Patent number: 5907338Abstract: An ink jet array print head (101) includes four media-width linear ink jet arrays (100). Ink flows from four sets of manifolds (106) through acoustically matched inlet filters (116), inlet ports (117), inlet channels (118), pressure chamber ports (120), and ink pressure chambers (122). Ink leaves the pressure chambers through outlet ports (124) and flows through oval outlet channels (128) to orifices (108), from which ink drops (110) are ejected. The ink pressure chambers are bounded by flexible diaphragms (130) to which piezo-ceramic transducers (132) are bonded. To minimize inter-jet cross-talk caused by pressure fluctuations in the manifolds, compliant walls (150) form one wall along the entire length of each manifold. An ink feed system (200) supplies four colors of ink to the print head. Phase-change inks are melted and deposited in ink catch basins (202), funneled into ink storage reservoirs (204), and fed to the-print head through ink stack feeds (206).Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 1995Date of Patent: May 25, 1999Inventors: Ronald F. Burr, Sharon S. Berger, William H. Tomison, David A. Tence
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Patent number: 5689291Abstract: An ink jet (10, 200) provides high-resolution gray scale printing or switchable resolution printing by providing PZT drive waveforms (100, 110, 120, 360, 370), each having a spectral energy distribution that excites a modal resonance of ink in an ink jet print head orifice (14, 208). By selecting the particular drive waveform with selectable energy inputs that concentrates spectral energy at frequencies associated with a desired oscillation mode and that suppresses energy at the other oscillation modes, an ink drop (170, 180, 190, 210) is ejected that has a diameter proportional to a center excursion size of the selected meniscus surface oscillation mode. The center excursion size of high order oscillation modes is substantially smaller than the orifice diameter, thereby causing ejection of ink drops smaller than the orifice diameter. Conventional orifice manufacturing techniques may be used because a specific orifice diameter is not required.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 1995Date of Patent: November 18, 1997Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.Inventors: David A. Tence, Sharon S. Berger, Ronald F. Burr
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Patent number: 5495270Abstract: An ink jet (10) apparatus and method provides high-resolution gray scale printing by providing multiple PZT drive waveforms (100, 110, 120), each having a spectral energy distribution that excites a different modal resonance of ink in an ink jet print head orifice (14). By selecting the particular drive waveform that concentrates spectral energy at frequencies associated with a desired oscillation mode and that suppresses energy at the other oscillation modes, an ink drop (170, 180, 190) is ejected that has a diameter proportional to a center excursion size of the selected meniscus surface oscillation mode. The center excursion size of high order oscillation modes is substantially smaller than the orifice diameter, thereby causing ejection of ink drops smaller than the orifice diameter. Conventional orifice manufacturing techniques may be used because a specific orifice diameter is not required.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1993Date of Patent: February 27, 1996Assignee: Tektronix, Inc.Inventors: Ronald F. Burr, David A. Tence, Hue P. Le, Ronald L. Adams, Jon C. Mutton