Patents by Inventor Sean Daniel Fitzgerald

Sean Daniel Fitzgerald 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: 20220118765
    Abstract: A device to supply printing material to a printing material container of a printing apparatus includes a container including a plunger and to contain the printing material, a portal couplable to a refill port to the printing material container. The portal includes a discharge port through which the printing material is transferrable from the container, and a connector to receive power to move the plunger, to cause a transfer of the printing material contained in the container to the printing material container through the discharge port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Justin Pettingill, Gabriel McDaniel, Jeffrey H. Luke, Sean Daniel FitzGerald
  • Patent number: 11305547
    Abstract: In an example, a print component includes a guide structure. The example guide structure includes a recess to receive a print material container and a guideway with a guide wall to support rotation of the print material container. Upon rotation of the print material container, an electrical contact of the print material container moves towards an electrical contact coupled to the guide structure of the print component. In another example, a container includes a housing, a material transfer interface, and a mechanical interface. In that example, the mechanical interface includes a guide structure that defines a protrusion and a guideway to allow the container to rotate within a recess defined by a receptacle shell. Upon rotation of the container, an electrical contact coupled to the guide structure moves towards an electrical contact on the receptacle shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Sean Daniel Fitzgerald, Jeffrey H. Luke, Mathew Lavigne
  • Patent number: 11285728
    Abstract: In various examples, colorant sensors can include a printing device comprising a hopper to receive a colorant, a supply to receive the colorant from the hopper, an aperture disposed between the hopper and the supply, a light emitter to emit light that passes through the aperture, and a light sensor located on the opposite side of the aperture relative the light emitter to sense a portion of the emitted light that passes through the aperture to permit determination of whether colorant present in the aperture based on the portion of the emitted light sensed by the light sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Sean Daniel FitzGerald, Jeff Luke, Mathew Lavigne
  • Publication number: 20220035272
    Abstract: An example magnetic material supply apparatus includes a reservoir to contain a magnetic material, a connecting member having a first end coupled to the reservoir to receive the magnetic material, and a magnet. A magnetic field produced by the magnet controls supply of the magnetic material through the connecting member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Gabriel S. McDaniel, Sean Daniel FitzGerald
  • Publication number: 20220035268
    Abstract: A print material container comprising a body, a transfer mechanism, an inner connector, and an outer connecter. The transfer mechanism is to move print material in or out of the body. The inner connecter is on a connecting side of the body, and is to couple to a first location of an image forming apparatus to provide print material to the image forming apparatus. The outer connecter is on the connecting side of the body, and is to couple to a second location of the image forming apparatus to collect or receive unutilized print material transferred or received from the image forming apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Justin PETTINGILL, Sean Daniel FITZGERALD, Gabriel S MCDANIEL, Jeffrey H LUKE
  • Publication number: 20210379901
    Abstract: In some examples, a print materials container can include a dispense mechanism to dispense print materials directly to an in-situ reservoir of a printing device, a lock feature to engage a fill port during connection of the dispense mechanism to the fill port, and a valve integrated with the dispense mechanism for connecting the dispense mechanism to the fill port of the reservoir and comprising an output opening offset from a center axis of a tip of the dispense mechanism. The valve can open responsive to rotation of the valve opening with respect to the lock feature such that opposite openings align.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Andrew P. CHICK, Kenneth K. SMITH, Matthew James STOREY, Pratik SHAH, Luke KIM, Sean Daniel FITZGERALD, Mathew LAVIGNE, Jeffrey H. LUKE, Jiwon MOON, Minchul LEE, Corbett Benjamin SCHOENFELT, Bennett Alexander NADEAU, Zackary Thomas HICKMAN, Jefferson Blake WEST, Muriel Hale SHIELDS, An TRAN
  • Patent number: 11174058
    Abstract: A seal removal structure can include a shell and a piercing member. The shell can have a first end section and a second end section. The first end section can be configured to receive a supply conduit of a supply fluid container and the second end section can be dimensioned to receive a receiving conduit of a container device. Additionally, the piercing member can be provided within the first end section to penetrate a seal of the supply conduit when the supply conduit is received by the first end section. Moreover, the piercing member can incise at least a portion of the seal from the supply conduit when the supply conduit or the piercing member rotates, while the supply conduit is received by the first end section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Jeff Luke, Sean Daniel Fitzgerald, Mathew Lavigne, Dean Richtsmeier
  • Patent number: 11163244
    Abstract: Example implementations relate to an apparatus to transfer a quantity of print material to a printing device through a transfer mechanism. In some examples, the apparatus includes a container including the quantity of print material, a transfer mechanism associated with the container, and a sensor associated with the transfer mechanism. In some examples, the sensor is to communicate to the printing device information about the transfer of the quantity of print material through the dispenser mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Sean Daniel Fitzgerald, Jeff Luke, Gabriel McDaniel
  • Patent number: 11163245
    Abstract: In an example, a container includes a housing with a memory resource embedded therein, an electrical contact coupled to an exterior of the container, and an electrical lead coupled to the memory resource and the electrical contact. In another example, a toner cartridge includes a controller embedded within a material of a housing and an electrical contact on an exterior surface of the housing and electrically coupled to the controller. In an example method of manufacturing a container, a memory resource is placed in a mold, material is injected into the mold such that the memory resource is embedded in the material, and the material is allowed to solidify.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Sean Daniel Fitzgerald, Jeffrey H. Luke
  • Publication number: 20210309014
    Abstract: A dispensable substance container may include a printing substance dispensing nozzle comprising a first material. The dispensable substance container an elongate body, comprising a wall, comprising a second material encompassing a cavity to contain a dispensable substance, and an attachment portion to attach the elongate body to the printing substance dispensing nozzle; and a structurally compromised portion of the elongate body extending along a length of the elongate body, wherein the elongate body and the attachment portion are to be severed along the structurally compromised portion by a pushrod moveable through the cavity to expel the dispensable substance out the dispensing nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Luke, Mathew Lavigne, Sean Daniel FitzGerald
  • Publication number: 20210300096
    Abstract: In some examples, a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions to cause a processing resource to: detect an alteration of a print drive assembly, alter a state of a first drive motor associated with the print drive assembly based the detected alteration of the print drive assembly, and alter a state of a drive axis associated with the print drive assembly based on the detected alteration of the print drive assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Sean Daniel FitzGerald, Gabriel Scott McDaniel
  • Publication number: 20210283919
    Abstract: In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a refill container is described. The refill container includes a reservoir to house a volume of print compound and a chamber to house a pressurized fluid. A wall separates the reservoir from the chamber. A pressure release device of the refill container creates a fluid path between the chamber and the reservoir such that the pressurized fluid flows into the reservoir to mix with the volume of print compound. A trigger of the refill container activates the pressure release device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Gabriel Scott McDaniel, Jeffrey Harold Luke, Sean Daniel FitzGerald
  • Publication number: 20210279017
    Abstract: An example device capable of predicting print substance end-of-life (EOL) comprises a container to hold a print substance, the container comprising a refill port through which print substance is to be introduced into the container. The example device also comprises a processor to receive signals indicative of an amount of print substance introduced via the refill port. The processor is also to predict a print substance end-of-life (EOL) based on the amount of print substance introduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Mathew LAVIGNE, Jeffrey LUKE, Sean Daniel FITZGERALD, Dean RICHTSMEIER, Kenneth SMITH
  • Publication number: 20210270594
    Abstract: An example print apparatus is described as including a fuser roller, a pressure device that generates wear on a section of the fuser roller surface, and a wear detection engine that identifies a degree of wear on the surface of the fuser roller. An example fuser roller may include a tube, a heating element, and a plurality of layers having a detectable pattern. An example print apparatus may include a wear detection engine having an emitter, a detector, and a controller that identifies a wear pattern based on data provided by the detector in response to activation of the emitter and determines a degree of wear based on the identified wear pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Gabriel Scott McDaniel, Sean Daniel FitzGerald, Jeffrey H. Luke
  • Publication number: 20210240125
    Abstract: An example device can include a reserve print materials container, an access port coupled to the reserve print materials container to receive, from a replenishment device, print materials directly to the reserve print materials container in-situ, and a main print materials container coupled to the reserve print materials container to receive print materials from the reserve print materials container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Kenneth SMITH, Dean RICHTSMEIER, Jeff LUKE, Mathew LAVIGNE, Sean Daniel FITZGERALD
  • Patent number: 11067920
    Abstract: An example print component includes a container interface with a guide feature to guide rotation and a rotationally asymmetric key feature. An example toner component includes a recess to receive a toner container, a guide feature to guide rotation of the toner container, and an asymmetric key feature embedded in the guide feature to guide a container material interface towards a component material interface upon rotation. An example container may have a periphery with a rotationally asymmetric surface plane to guide rotation of the container and a protrusion extending from the periphery that has a key feature defined by edges rotationally asymmetric with respect to the periphery. An example container may include a mechanical interface including an asymmetrically-located key feature that, upon rotation of the print material container, generates a sealing force substantially perpendicular to the direction of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Sean Daniel Fitzgerald, Gabriel Scott McDaniel, Jeffrey H. Luke
  • Patent number: 11055038
    Abstract: An example device capable of predicting print substance end-of-life (EOL) comprises a container to hold a print substance, the container comprising a refill port through which print substance is to be introduced into the container. The example device also comprises a processor to receive signals indicative of an amount of print substance introduced via the refill port. The processor is also to predict a print substance end-of-life (EOL) based on the amount of print substance introduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Mathew Lavigne, Jeffrey Luke, Sean Daniel Fitzgerald, Dean Richtsmeier, Kenneth Smith
  • Publication number: 20210170758
    Abstract: In various examples, colorant sensors can include a printing device comprising a hopper to receive a colorant, a supply to receive the colorant from the hopper, an aperture disposed between the hopper and the supply, a light emitter to emit light that passes through the aperture, and a light sensor located on the opposite side of the aperture relative the light emitter to sense a portion of the emitted light that passes through the aperture to permit determination of whether colorant present in the aperture based on the portion of the emitted light sensed by the light sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Sean Daniel FitzGerald, Jeff Luke, Mathew Lavigne
  • Publication number: 20210165340
    Abstract: An example print component includes a container interface with a guide feature to guide rotation and a rotationally asymmetric key feature. An example toner component includes a recess to receive a toner container, a guide feature to guide rotation of the toner container, and an asymmetric key feature embedded in the guide feature to guide a container material interface towards a component material interface upon rotation. An example container may have a periphery with a rotationally asymmetric surface plane to guide rotation of the container and a protrusion extending from the periphery that has a key feature defined by edges rotationally asymmetric with respect to the periphery. An example container may include a mechanical interface including an asymmetrically-located key feature that, upon rotation of the print material container, generates a sealing force substantially perpendicular to the direction of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Sean Daniel FITZGERALD, Gabriel Scott MCDANIEL, Jeffrey H. LUKE
  • Publication number: 20210155004
    Abstract: In an example, a print component includes a guide structure. The example guide structure includes a recess to receive a print material container and a guideway with a guide wall to support rotation of the print material container. Upon rotation of the print material container, an electrical contact of the print material container moves towards an electrical contact coupled to the guide structure of the print component. In another example, a container includes a housing, a material transfer interface, and a mechanical interface. In that example, the mechanical interface includes a guide structure that defines a protrusion and a guideway to allow the container to rotate within a recess defined by a receptacle shell. Upon rotation of the container, an electrical contact coupled to the guide structure moves towards an electrical contact on the receptacle shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: Sean Daniel FITZGERALD, Jeffrey H. LUKE, Mathew LAVIGNE