Patents by Inventor Ulrich Stoeckle

Ulrich Stoeckle 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: 11926161
    Abstract: A modular print bar may include at least one first print head module and at least one second print head module. Each print head module may include a base plate with which at least one print head can be connected. At least one first ink supply line for supplying ink to the respective print head may respectively run in the base plates. The print head modules may be firmly connected to a print bar such that a connection can be established between the first ink supply line of the first print head module and the first ink supply line of the second print head module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Florian Hitzlsperger, Ulrich Stöckle
  • Publication number: 20230405999
    Abstract: Provided is a device for determining an empty ink state of an ink container for an ink printing system. The ink container has a rigid outer container and an inner, flexible fluid pouch. The inner fluid pouch is connected via a fluid conduit to a pump that is configured to convey fluid out of the inner fluid pouch. The pump is configured to output an electrical signal whose periodicity is proportional to a rotational speed of the pump. The device has an evaluation unit that is configured to monitor the frequency of the electrical signal and, upon the frequency falling below a predetermined threshold, to output that the ink container is empty.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Christoph Rummelsberger, Florian Hitzlsperger, Ulrich Stöckle
  • Patent number: 11820156
    Abstract: In a method and system for increasing print quality, activation pulses are activated with which a nozzle of an inkjet printing device to print dots on a recording medium. The activation pulses may be adapted based on sensor data with respect to already printed dots. The method and system can further include an automatic adaptation of the activation pulses to increase print quality even given the presence of soiling at the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Florian Hitzlsperger, Ulrich Stöckle
  • Patent number: 11685151
    Abstract: In a method and device for ascertaining print data for a print image to be printed, the print data is adapted and/or determined such that the time curve of the ink flow quantity, exhibits no quantity changes or flow rates due to which ink ejection errors might be produced, in particular nozzle failures. The device includes: a communication interface configured to receive the print data; and processing circuitry that ascertains, based on the print data, a time curve of an ink flow quantity of ink that, during the printing of the print image, flows in the print bar and/or is ejected from the one or more nozzles of the print bar; and determine, based on the time curve of the ink flow quantity, whether an ink ejection error will be produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Florian Hitzlsperger, Jochen Reinders, Ulrich Stöckle, Eva Pichlmeier
  • Patent number: 11511542
    Abstract: A device may be configured to check, via evaluation of resistance data of a cleaning sensor arranged on a print bar of an inkjet printing device, whether a cleaner for cleaning the one or more print heads of the print bar exhibits a negative effect. The state of a cleaner may be reliably and efficiently monitored via the installation of a cleaning sensor in a print bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Ulrich Stöckle, Christoph Rummelsberger, Florian Hitzlsperger
  • Publication number: 20220234359
    Abstract: A controller may transition an inkjet printing device, starting from the printing operation, at least predominantly into a continuation mode where the printing is interrupted in which, however, the active tempering of the ink in the one or more print heads of the printing device is continued in order to enable an accelerated restart of the printing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventor: Ulrich Stöckle
  • Publication number: 20220234360
    Abstract: A modular print bar may include at least one first print head module and at least one second print head module. Each print head module may include a base plate with which at least one print head can be connected. At least one first ink supply line for supplying ink to the respective print head may respectively run in the base plates. The print head modules may be firmly connected to a print bar such that a connection can be established between the first ink supply line of the first print head module and the first ink supply line of the second print head module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Florian Hitzlsperger, Ulrich Stöckle
  • Patent number: 11376842
    Abstract: A controller for operating a print head is described, which controller is designed to shift the activation points in time of the print head for printing of different lines of a print image on a recording medium relative to the line signal points in time, said line signal points in time being dependent on the transport velocity of the recording medium, such that the print head is operated with quantized operating frequencies from a set of predefined quantized operating frequencies. The print quality of the print head may thus be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Ulrich Stöckle, Florian Hitzlsperger
  • Patent number: 11364718
    Abstract: In a device for regenerating a print head of an inkjet printing device, a fluid is applied onto the nozzle plate of the print head. The one or more nozzles of the print head can be subsequently operated with one or more no-ejection pulses to produce the effect that fluid is drawn from the nozzle plate into the one or more nozzles and mixes with the ink in the one or more nozzles that the viscosity of the ink in the one or more nozzles is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Christoph Rummelsberger, Ulrich Stoeckle
  • Patent number: 11338575
    Abstract: A controller for an inkjet printing device is configured to predict a remaining time period until a failure of the nozzle on the basis of a time curve of offset measurement values with regard to the offset of the ink droplets ejected by said nozzle. A compensation measure may be introduced promptly, before the actual failure of the nozzle on the basis of the prediction in order to have the effect that the compensation measure takes effect at latest at the point in time of the failure of the nozzle, and thus an interruption of the print quality may be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Claus Schneider, Ulrich Stoeckle
  • Patent number: 11292252
    Abstract: In a method and a device for synchronizing a first printing device with a second component (e.g. second printing device), based on a property of a print image printed by the first printing device, which the property is detected by an optical sensor, a first print image is printed and at least one part of the first print image is detected using the optical sensor to generate a corresponding sensor signal. A virtual sensor signal is determined based on first print data and a known position of the optical sensor. The virtual sensor signal is compared with a curve of the sensor signal and a position signal is generated based on the result of the comparison. A second component is started depending on the position signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Claus Schneider, Ulrich Stoeckle
  • Publication number: 20220040981
    Abstract: A device may be configured to check, via evaluation of resistance data of a cleaning sensor arranged on a print bar of an inkjet printing device, whether a cleaner for cleaning the one or more print heads of the print bar exhibits a negative effect. The state of a cleaner may be reliably and efficiently monitored via the installation of a cleaning sensor in a print bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Ulrich Stöckle, Christoph Rummelsberger, Florian Hitzlsperger
  • Publication number: 20220040972
    Abstract: In a method and device for ascertaining print data for a print image to be printed, the print data is adapted and/or determined such that the time curve of the ink flow quantity, exhibits no quantity changes or flow rates due to which ink ejection errors might be produced, in particular nozzle failures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Florian Hitzlsperger, Jochen Reinders, Ulrich Stöckle, Eva Pichlmeier
  • Publication number: 20220024221
    Abstract: In a method and system for increasing print quality, activation pulses are activated with which a nozzle of an inkjet printing device to print dots on a recording medium. The activation pulses may be adapted based on sensor data with respect to already printed dots. The method and system can further include an automatic adaptation of the activation pulses to increase print quality even given the presence of soiling at the nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Florian Hitzlsperger, Ulrich Stöckle
  • Patent number: 11230117
    Abstract: In a method for adjusting a setup for an encoder for printing to a recording medium of unknown thickness with a multi-row inkjet print head in a printing system, a continuous test line is printed onto the recording medium, transversal to a feed direction of said recording medium, a varied width of the test line is measured, and the adjustment of the setup is modified to minimize the width of the test line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Ulrich Stoeckle, Christoph Rummelsberger, Florian Hitzlsperger
  • Patent number: 11161339
    Abstract: In order to determine the nip between a print head and a printing substrate in an ink printing apparatus, ink droplets of a first and second size are simultaneously fired toward the printing substrate by different nozzles of a nozzle row of the print head given a predetermined feed velocity of the printing substrate, whereby print dots of a first size are generated on the printing substrate in a first two print dot row and print dots of a second size are generated on the printing substrate in a second two print dot row. The clearance of the first two print dot row from the second two print dot row is subsequently measured, and the size of the nip is determined from the measured clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Ulrich Stoeckle, Christoph Rummelsberger, Florian Hitzlsperger
  • Publication number: 20210283901
    Abstract: A controller for operating a print head is described, which controller is designed to shift the activation points in time of the print head for printing of different lines of a print image on a recording medium relative to the line signal points in time, said line signal points in time being dependent on the transport velocity of the recording medium, such that the print head is operated with quantized operating frequencies from a set of predefined quantized operating frequencies. The print quality of the print head may thus be increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Applicant: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Ulrich Stöckle, Florian Hitzlsperger
  • Patent number: 11014351
    Abstract: The droplet velocities of the nozzles of different groups of nozzles of a print head of an inkjet printing device are determined for different line clock rates. An optimized operating line clock rate is then determined for the operation of the printing device, where the deviation between the droplet velocities of the nozzles of the different groups is reduced (e.g. minimized). The droplet positioning along the transport direction of a recording medium may be advantageously homogenized via the convergence of the droplet velocities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventor: Ulrich Stoeckle
  • Publication number: 20210107278
    Abstract: A controller for an inkjet printing device is configured to predict a remaining time period until a failure of the nozzle on the basis of a time curve of offset measurement values with regard to the offset of the ink droplets ejected by said nozzle. A compensation measure may be introduced promptly, before the actual failure of the nozzle on the basis of the prediction in order to have the effect that the compensation measure takes effect at latest at the point in time of the failure of the nozzle, and thus an interruption of the print quality may be prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Claus Schneider, Ulrich Stoeckle
  • Publication number: 20210107280
    Abstract: In a method and a device for synchronizing a first printing device with a second component (e.g. second printing device), based on a property of a print image printed by the first printing device, which the property is detected by an optical sensor, a first print image is printed and at least one part of the first print image is detected using the optical sensor to generate a corresponding sensor signal. A virtual sensor signal is determined based on first print data and a known position of the optical sensor. The virtual sensor signal is compared with a curve of the sensor signal and a position signal is generated based on the result of the comparison. A second component is started depending on the position signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: Canon Production Printing Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Claus Schneider, Ulrich Stoeckle