Patents by Inventor Donald S. Rimai

Donald S. Rimai 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).

  • Publication number: 20110287357
    Abstract: Methods for forming bound electrophotographic prints are provided. In one aspect a method comprises the steps of applying a toner to a receiver to form a toner image with having toner in a binding area and in an image area. The binding area is proximate to a binding edge of the receiver and the image area that is separated from the binding area by an separation area. The toner image is fused to form a print, and a sheet and the prints are stacked with the toner in the binding area of the print confronting the sheet along a binding edge of the sheet. Heat is applied at the binding edges to cause the toner in the binding area to fuse for a second time. A residual portion of the applied heat heats the separation area but the separation area does not heat the image area to an extent sufficient to fuse toner in the image area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Inventors: Brian J. Kwarta, James D. Shifley, Donald S. Rimai, Thomas N. Tombs
  • Publication number: 20110277613
    Abstract: A finisher for a receiver moving in a feed direction includes a cutting device having a cutting blade and a scoring blade on opposite sides of the receiver and oriented perpendicular to the feed direction, and a scoring notch on the opposite side of the receiver from, and parallel to, the scoring blade. An actuator selectively causes the scoring blade to engage the scoring notch as the receiver moves between the scoring blade and scoring notch, so that the receiver is scored, or causes the cutting blade to engage the scoring blade, so that the receiver is cut. A controller receives a job specification including one or more cut or score location(s) on the receiver and causes the receiver to be cut at the cut location(s) or scored at the score location(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Inventors: Donald S. Rimai, James D. Shifley, Brian J. Kwarta
  • Publication number: 20110266737
    Abstract: A booklet is produced including an outer sheet and an inner sheet folded and nested together. A print image having a thickness is printed where it is between the two sheets when they nest together. A cut length is calculated using the thicknesses of the sheets and the thickness of the print image, so that when the sheets are folded and the inner sheet is nested into the outer sheet, the edges of the inner sheet will not protrude beyond the edges of the outer sheet. The inner sheet is cut to the calculated cut length either before or after printing. The cut inner sheet and the outer sheet are folded and nested together to produce the booklet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Arun Chowdry, Thomas N. Tombs, Brian J. Kwarta, Donald S. Rimai
  • Publication number: 20110269612
    Abstract: Systems for folding a receiver having a dry toner thermally fused thereon are provided. In one aspect, a system for folding has a wetting system adapted to apply water along a fold line and a fold mechanism folding the receiver along the fold line. The folding is performed after a predetermined absorption period during which at least a portion of the applied water is absorbed by the receiver to reduce the extent to which the receiver cracks proximate the fold line during folding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas N. Tombs, Donald S. Rimai, Brian J. Kwarta
  • Publication number: 20110268464
    Abstract: A system and printer are provided for fusing toner on a receiver medium having a toner pile that extends at least about 50 ?m above a receiver. In one aspect, a system has a first energy source to apply a first energy to raise a temperature of a first portion of the toner pile to a range of elevated temperature levels below a glass transition temperature of the toner and a second energy source to apply a second energy to raise a temperature of a second portion of the toner pile above the glass transition temperature and to allow the second portion to transfer energy to the first portion. The second energy is provided at a level that allows the transferred energy to raise the temperature of the first portion from the range of elevated levels to a range of temperatures above the glass transition temperature for the toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Muhammed Aslam, Donald S. Rimai
  • Publication number: 20110268485
    Abstract: Methods are provided for folding a receiver having a dry toner thermally fused thereon. In one aspect, water is applied along a fold line. The receiver is folded along the fold line. The folding is performed after a predetermined absorption period during which at least a portion of the applied water is absorbed by the receiver to reduce the extent to which the receiver cracks proximate to the fold line during folding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas N. Tombs, Donald S. Rimai, Brian J. Kwarta
  • Publication number: 20110268465
    Abstract: Methods are provided for printing and fusing a toner on a receiver having a toner pile that extends at least about 50 ?m above a receiver. According to one aspect, a first energy is applied to raise a temperature of a first portion of the toner pile to a range of elevated temperature levels below a glass transition temperature of the toner, a second energy is applied to a temperature of a second portion of the toner pile above the glass transition temperature and to allow the second portion to transfer energy to the first portion. The second energy is provided at a level that allows the transferred energy to raise the temperature of the first portion from the range of elevated levels to the range of temperatures above the glass transition temperature. a range of temperatures above the glass transition temperature for the toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Muhammed Aslam, Donald S. Rimai
  • Publication number: 20110236093
    Abstract: Apparatus for heating toner on a receiver having an ignition energy, having an energy source for providing input energy; and a membrane disposed adjacent to the receiver. The membrane receives the input energy from the energy source; stores a portion of the input energy; and radiates emitted energy that is absorbed by the toner, the receiver, or a combination thereof, wherein the absorption causes the temperature of the toner to rise above a desired temperature. The stored portion of the input energy is less than the ignition energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: James H. Hurst, Andrew Ciaschi, Donald S. Rimai, Carl I. Bouwens
  • Publication number: 20110211883
    Abstract: A cleaning blade member including a polymer substrate and a fluorinated polyurethane ceramer coating surface layer. The polymer substrate may comprise polyurethane. The fluorinated polyurethane ceramer coating may comprise a fluorinated polyurethane silicate hybrid organic-inorganic network formed as a reaction product of a fluorinated polyurethane having terminal reactive alkoxysilane groups with a tetraalkoxysilane compound. The fluorinated polyurethane ceramer coating may be coated on the polymer substrate of the cleaning blade without any primer layer therebetween. Also described is an electrostatographic apparatus comprising a toner-contacting member and such a fluorinated ceramer coated cleaning blade for the toner-contacting member. The toner-contacting member may comprise an endless transport web. The fluorinated ceramer enhances the ability of particles to be released from the surface therefore reducing contamination generated due to particles attached to the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Wayne T. Ferrar, Donald S. Rimai, Edward T. Miskinis, M. Cristina B. Dejesus
  • Publication number: 20110200933
    Abstract: Electrophotographic printing of one or more layers of toner to enable the printing of a wide range of toner mass laydown using electrophotography to produce prints with raised letters. This method encompasses the steps of forming multicolor toner images and fusing the print one or more times to create the raised print having the desired height of raised print.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica, Thomas N. Tombs, Donald S. Rimai
  • Publication number: 20110200932
    Abstract: Electrophotographic printing of one or more layers of toner to enable the printing of a wide range of toner mass laydown using electrophotography to produce prints with raised letters. This method encompasses the steps of forming multicolor toner images and fusing the print one or more times to create the raised print. having the desired height of raised print.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Thomas N. Tombs, Donald S. Rimai
  • Publication number: 20110200360
    Abstract: Electrophotographic printing of one or more layers of toner to enable the printing of a wide range of toner mass laydown using electrophotography to produce prints with raised letters. This method encompasses the steps of forming multicolor toner images and fusing the print one or more times to create the raised print. having the desired height of raised print.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica, Thomas N. Tombs, Donald S. Rimai
  • Publication number: 20110157611
    Abstract: A computer implemented method of producing personalized documents comprising the steps of inputting handwritten alphanumeric characters which are then mapped into at least one set of text characters. A textural document is entered into the computer and is transcribed into a set of text characters corresponding to the input handwritten alphanumeric characters. The document can be printed and will contain text in the handwriting of the person whose alphanumeric characters were used as input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: Donald S. Rimai, Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Publication number: 20110157615
    Abstract: A system with for capturing and storing an image of a user's handwritten alphanumeric characters. The characters are stored in memory in association with a standard alphanumeric character set such as an ASCII character set. A text document can then be transcribed into the stored handwritten alphanumeric characters for resembling a handwriting of the user. The characters can be represented by mathematical functions such as Taylor Series or McLauren Series and can be digitally reproduced based on the stored functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: Donald S. Rimai, Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Patent number: 7959278
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for printing an image-wise ink pattern on a receiver. A primary imaging member includes a series of substantially equal-sized cells located over the substrate surface thereof. The primary imaging member has an electrically conductive layer. An ink jet printhead selectively ejects drops of ink into the primary imaging member cells in a desired image-wise ink pattern. The image-wise ink on the primary imaging member is fractionated to separate the liquid in the ink. A receiver is transported into operative association with the primary imaging member, and a transfer mechanism applies a pressure between the receiver and the primary imaging member, and establishes an electrostatic field to transfer the image-wise ink pattern to the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Michael T. Regan, Donald S. Rimai, Robert E. Zeman, Maria Cristina Barbosa DeJesus, David Daniel Putnam, Thomas N. Tombs
  • Publication number: 20110116840
    Abstract: A method and system for printing image documents using a variety of toners where some toners using a multi-development station having two or more development stations. These toners are co-printed prior to fixing, on the receiver by the multi-development station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: Thomas N. Tombs, James D. Shifley, Rodney R. Bucks, Donald S. Rimai
  • Publication number: 20110103860
    Abstract: The present invention is an electrostatographic reproduction apparatus which includes a primary imaging member for producing an electrostatic latent image, a development station for applying toner particles to said latent image which forms a developed toner image, and a transfer station for transferring said developed toner image from the primary imaging member to a receiver. A fuser assembly is included for fixing the developed toner image to the receiver, to form a fused toner image on the receiver. An endless transport member is provided for transporting the receiver to or from the fuser assembly, the transport member having a substrate bearing an oil-absorbing porous layer that would tribocharge positively upon contact with negatively charged toner particles, and a porous overcoat outermost layer that does not tribocharge positively upon contact with negatively charged toner particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Wayne T. Ferrar, Donald S. Rimai, Edward T. Miskinis, Douglas E. Garman, Mark C. Zaretsky, Patrick M. Lambert
  • Publication number: 20100296823
    Abstract: A method of synchronizing the timing of a plurality of physically coupled print engines wherein the receiving sheet is inverted between a first and a second print engine including determining a position of one or more timing marks on a first primary imaging member in a first print engine having a first timing, directing a receiving sheet from the first print engine to a second primary imaging member in a second print engine having a second timing, determining an actual arrival time of the receiving sheet relative to a fixed position in the second print engine, and calculating an optimum timing offset using the one or more timing marks on the first primary imaging member, the actual arrival time of the receiving sheet and the distance of the non-printable area to the fixed position in the second engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2009
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Inventors: Michael T. Dobbertin, Ronald W. Stephens, Thomas K. Sciurba, Donald S. Rimai, Donna P. Suchy
  • Patent number: 7823996
    Abstract: In an apparatus for printing images on a moving primary imaging member by jetting ink, containing a fluid and marking particles, in an image-wise fashion onto the primary imaging member, a device for concentrating the ink prior to transferring a marking particle image to a receiver member. The ink concentrating device includes a fractionating unit for separating fluid of the ink from the marking particles. The fractionating unit is located a predetermined spaced distance from the primary image bearing member. An electrostatic field is established between the primary image bearing member and the fractionating unit for concentrating the marking particles in the liquid of the ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Rimai, Donald S. Rimai, Thomas N. Tombs, James R. Flick, Robert E. Zeman, James G. Popowich
  • Publication number: 20100271417
    Abstract: A method and system for improved image quality using an image quality matching method is used to match the optical density of single prints produced on multiple print engines by first sensing the optical density of a first image produced on a first print engine and then sensing the optical density of a second image produced on a second print engine before comparing the optical densities and determining if they are substantially equal. If they are not equal set points and exposures are adjusted on one or both print engines until the differences between the optical densities is less than 0.05, preferably 0.03. The density is changed by adjusting the initial voltage on the primary imaging member of at least one print engine and/or by adjusting the exposure of the primary imaging member of at least one print engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Inventors: Donald S. Rimai, Alan E. Rapkin