Patents by Inventor Michael Quoc Lu

Michael Quoc Lu 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).

  • Patent number: 8684506
    Abstract: An ink removal system includes a drip bib and a flexible member. The drip bib collects melted ink flowing down the face of a printhead and the flexible member captures ink dropping from the drip bib after an ink receptacle has received most of the ink collected by the drip bib. When the ink receptacle returns to the position where the receptacle catches melted ink from the drip bib, the receptacle also bends the flexible member and releases the captured ink, which falls into the ink receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Laurence S. Barker, Michael Quoc Lu, John R. Uchal
  • Patent number: 8434854
    Abstract: A printhead cleaning device includes a housing having an opening and an ink receptacle positioned within the opening. A member extends from the ink receptacle and through the opening. The member is configured to contact a faceplate of a printhead to enable liquid ink emitted onto the faceplate to move from across the member into the ink receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert E. Rosdahl, Jr., Michael Quoc Lu, John R. Uchal, Michael J. Severn
  • Publication number: 20130100203
    Abstract: A printhead cleaning device includes a housing having an opening and an ink receptacle positioned within the opening. A member extends from the ink receptacle and through the opening. The member is configured to contact a faceplate of a printhead to enable liquid ink emitted onto the faceplate to move from across the member into the ink receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert E. Rosdahl, JR., Michael Quoc Lu, John R. Uchal, Michael J. Severn
  • Publication number: 20130050361
    Abstract: An ink removal system includes a drip bib and a flexible member. The drip bib collects melted ink flowing down the face of a printhead and the flexible member captures ink dropping from the drip bib after an ink receptacle has received most of the ink collected by the drip bib. When the ink receptacle returns to the position where the receptacle catches melted ink from the drip bib, the receptacle also bends the flexible member and releases the captured ink, which falls into the ink receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Laurence S. Barker, Michael Quoc Lu, John R. Uchal
  • Patent number: 8382239
    Abstract: A printhead cleaning device includes a housing having an opening and an ink receptacle positioned within the opening. A member has a first end positioned in the ink receptacle and a second end that extends out of the opening in the housing. The member is configured to contact a drip bib and provide a path for liquid ink to move from the drip bib to the ink receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Roger G. Leighton, Michael Quoc Lu
  • Patent number: 8331809
    Abstract: A method monitors an electric current supplied to an electrostatic brush within a printing device. The electrostatic brush contacts and cleans a photoreceptor surface within the printing device. The method records a current spike pattern of when the electric current exceeds a first current threshold during the monitoring; however, the method will stop operations of the printing device if the electric current exceeds a second current threshold that is greater than the first current threshold. Further, the method can determine whether a scratch is present on the photoreceptor surface based on the current spike pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Quoc Lu, Bruce E. Thayer, John R. Uchal
  • Publication number: 20120194609
    Abstract: A printhead cleaning device includes a housing having an opening and an ink receptacle positioned within the opening. A member has a first end positioned in the ink receptacle and a second end that extends out of the opening in the housing. The member is configured to contact a drip bib and provide a path for liquid ink to move from the drip bib to the ink receptacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Roger G. Leighton, Michael Quoc Lu
  • Publication number: 20120008965
    Abstract: A method monitors an electric current supplied to an electrostatic brush within a printing device. The electrostatic brush contacts and cleans a photoreceptor surface within the printing device. The method records a current spike pattern of when the electric current exceeds a first current threshold during the monitoring; however, the method will stop operations of the printing device if the electric current exceeds a second current threshold that is greater than the first current threshold. Further, the method can determine whether a scratch is present on the photoreceptor surface based on the current spike pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Quoc Lu, Bruce E. Thayer, John R. Uchal
  • Patent number: 7469121
    Abstract: In order to prevent built up crusts on the flicker assembly from being detrimentally dislodged due to the cleaning fibers impacting the flicker bar assembly, there is provided a soft contact portion flicker bar assembly for mounting in a machine to contact and flick the cleaning fibers moving along a fiber path. The soft contact portion flicker bar assembly includes (a) a base portion for mounting to a frame portion of the machine; (b) a body portion including a distal, first end, and an opposite, second end connected to the base portion; and (c) a tip portion connected to the first, distal end for contacting and interfering with cleaning fibers moving along the fiber path. The tip portion is made of a material having a Shore A durometer hardness of less than 85 for reducing a jarring effect of impact forces between such tip portion and the moving cleaning fibers, thereby preventing detrimental dislodging of built up crusts of particles from any part of the flicker bar assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas A Lundy, Anthony L Paolini, Michael Quoc Lu, Michael J Turan
  • Patent number: 7457578
    Abstract: There is disclosed a system for cleaning marking material from a surface portion of a movable photoconductive member. The system includes a first rotatable brush, a blade and a second rotatable brush arranged in sequential order along the movable photoconductive member. The first rotatable brush is for removing a first amount of marking material from the surface portion of the movable photoconductive member as the surface portion of the movable photoconductive member moves past said first rotatable electrostatic brush. The blade, in engaging contact with the movable photoconductive member, is for removing a second amount of marking material from the surface portion of the movable photoconductive member. The second rotatable brush, positioned in interference contact with the movable photoconductive member, is for removing substantially all residual marking material that was not removed by the first rotatable brush and the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas A. Lundy, D Clay Johnson, Bruce J. Parks, Michael Quoc Lu
  • Patent number: 7447449
    Abstract: A method for detecting a stress condition in a cleaning system of an imaging device is provided. The method comprises receiving a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal. The PWM signal has a duty cycle for driving a PWM servo motor of a cleaning system. A determination is then made whether the duty cycle of the PWM signal indicates that the servo motor is working within design limits. If the duty cycle is within design limits, characteristic adjustments of the duty cycle of the PWM are detected that indicate an occurrence of a non-catastrophic stress condition in the cleaning system. Once a characteristic adjustment of the duty cycle is detected, an alert signal is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Quoc Lu, Robert Bruce Anderson, Jr., William H. Wayman
  • Publication number: 20080107462
    Abstract: In order to prevent built up crusts on the flicker assembly from being detrimentally dislodged due to the cleaning fibers impacting the flicker bar assembly, there is provided a soft contact portion flicker bar assembly for mounting in a machine to contact and flick the cleaning fibers moving along a fiber path. The soft contact portion flicker bar assembly includes (a) a base portion for mounting to a frame portion of the machine; (b) a body portion including a distal, first end, and an opposite, second end connected to the base portion; and (c) a tip portion connected to the first, distal end for contacting and interfering with cleaning fibers moving along the fiber path. The tip portion is made of a material having a Shore A durometer hardness of less than 85 for reducing a jarring effect of impact forces between such tip portion and the moving cleaning fibers, thereby preventing detrimental dislodging of built up crusts of particles from any part of the flicker bar assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Douglas A Lundy, Anthony L Paolini, Michael Quoc Lu, Michael J Turan
  • Publication number: 20070292150
    Abstract: A method for detecting a stress condition in a cleaning system of an imaging device is provided. The method comprises receiving a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal. The PWM signal has a duty cycle for driving a PWM servo motor of a cleaning system. A determination is then made whether the duty cycle of the PWM signal indicates that the servo motor is working within design limits. If the duty cycle is within design limits, characteristic adjustments of the duty cycle of the PWM are detected that indicate an occurrence of a non-catastrophic stress condition in the cleaning system. Once a characteristic adjustment of the duty cycle is detected, an alert signal is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Quoc Lu, Robert Bruce Anderson,, William H. Wayman
  • Publication number: 20070172275
    Abstract: There is disclosed a system for cleaning marking material from a surface portion of a movable photoconductive member. The system includes a first rotatable brush, a blade and a second rotatable brush arranged in sequential order along the movable photoconductive member. The first rotatable brush is for removing a first amount of marking material from the surface portion of the movable photoconductive member as the surface portion of the movable photoconductive member moves past said first rotatable electrostatic brush. The blade, in engaging contact with the movable photoconductive member, is for removing a second amount of marking material from the surface portion of the movable photoconductive member. The second rotatable brush, positioned in interference contact with the movable photoconductive member, is for removing substantially all residual marking material that was not removed by the first rotatable brush and the blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventors: Douglas A. Lundy, D. Clay Johnson, Bruce J. Parks, Michael Quoc Lu