Patents Issued in May 20, 2003
  • Patent number: 6565157
    Abstract: A molded foam spring seat includes a seat cushion having a bottom surface supported by a support frame having an opening therein. A drop-in frame is insertable within the opening, with the drop-in frame including a pair of opposed walls having fastening means thereon. A plurality of compression springs are each detachably extended between the fastening means on the drop-in frame. Each compression spring is in partial compression until compressed downward by a user seated on the seat cushion. Each compression spring resiliently rebounds to partial compression when the seat cushion is not compressed. The seat cushion includes sides tapered inwardly toward a seat cushion upper surface to reduce bulging of each side outwards with repetitive use of the seat cushion, and to minimize wear on the seat cushion sides when other seat cushions and support frames are positioned adjacent, or are stacked on the seat cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Shelby Williams Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter W. Barile, Jr., Peter Barile, Sr.
  • Patent number: 6565158
    Abstract: An automotive road wheel is disclosed, comprising: a disk portion fixed to an axle portion of a vehicle by a fastener; and a vibration isolation mechanism provided in a place where the disk portion is fixed by the fastener. In addition, an attaching structure of an automotive road wheel is disclosed, comprising: an axle hub attached to an axle configuration; a road wheel attached to the axle hub; and a vibration isolation mechanism interposed between the axle configuration and the axle hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinji Seimiya
  • Patent number: 6565159
    Abstract: A wheel assembly for a vehicle comprises a spindle and a wheel carrier. The spindle includes a shank portion and a shoulder portion. The shank portion includes a press-fit portion adjacent the shoulder portion and has a first predetermined diameter. The wheel carrier is adapted to be supported by a suspension system of the vehicle, is comprised of aluminum, and has a spindle-receiving bore therethrough. The bore has an initially-formed diameter smaller than the first predetermined diameter. The press-fit portion is press-fit into the bore. The difference between the initially-formed diameter and the first predetermined diameter is sufficiently large that the press-fit portion is surrounded by a deformation zone having a radial thickness of at least 10 microns. In one preferred embodiment, this deformation zone is comprised of plastically deformed aluminum having a radial thickness of at least 3 microns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc.
    Inventor: Werner E. Kosak
  • Patent number: 6565160
    Abstract: A releasable brake pedal system 10 for a vehicle includes a pedal assembly 12 operatively engageable by the driver of the vehicle and a hydraulic actuator assembly 20 for generating pressurized hydraulic fluid for actuating one or more brakes 44A-44D. The pedal system 10 further includes a pressure release valve 30 or 30′ coupled in fluid communication with the pressurized hydraulic fluid. The pressure release valve 30 or 30′ is operative to reduce the amount of pressure applied to the brakes 44A-44D during a detected vehicle deceleration indicative of a collision event. The pressure release valve 30 is responsive to a deceleration sensor 40 according to one embodiment, and valve 30′ employs a deceleration sensitive inertial mass 76 according to another embodiment. Accordingly, the pedal system 10 reduces forces that may otherwise be transferred to the pedal assembly 12 during a collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kip Alan Ewing, Gerard Edward Baker, Bruce Frederick Pease, Jeffrey Dan Rupp
  • Patent number: 6565161
    Abstract: A track link assembly having a first pair of track links, and a second pair of track links is disclosed. The track link assembly further includes a bushing having ends pressed into an inner boss of the second pair of track links. The track link assembly yet further includes a solid track pin positioned within the bushing and swaged to the outer boss of the first track links. The track link further includes a thrust ring interposed between the end of the bushing and the outer boss of the respective one of the first pair of track links. The track link assembly still further includes a seal assembly positioned adjacent each thrust ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventor: Peter W. Anderton
  • Patent number: 6565162
    Abstract: A tension adjustment assembly for a tracked vehicle, the tracked vehicle including a frame, an endless track, a track-engaging wheel supported by the frame, and a second track-engaging wheel supported by the frame in spaced relation to the first track-engaging wheel. The first track-engaging wheel and the second track-engaging wheel are rotatable about a first axis and a second axis, respectively. The endless track extends about the first track-engaging wheel and the second track-engaging wheel, and the track has a tension. The first track-engaging wheel is movable relative to the frame in a direction perpendicular to the first axis to adjust the tension of the track. The assembly further comprises a tension adjustment mechanism connected to the first track-engaging wheel and operable to move the first track-engaging wheel, the tension adjustment mechanism including a rotatable member rotatable about a rotational axis to cause movement of the first track-engaging wheel relative to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Joy MM Delaware, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher G. Stewart
  • Patent number: 6565163
    Abstract: A docking adapter for reliably inserting and removing a memory storage device from a memory storage device bay includes a rack and a removable carrier. The rack has a pair of lateral rails for holding the carrier. The carrier slidably engages the rails to enable the carrier to slide into the rack. The carrier is adapted for holding a hard disk drive. The carrier has a face with cooling fans, a cantilever mounted on the face for engaging the rack and a cover with a cam. The cover is hinged to the face. The cover rotates from a closed position where the cover parallels the face to an open position where the cover opens, pressing the cam against the cantilever against the rack to smoothly extract the carrier from the rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Inclose Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Sunny Behl, Chris Erwin
  • Patent number: 6565164
    Abstract: An automatic dishwashing mechanism with a pivoting door that incorporates a push/pull door latch mechanism comprising a moveable strike plate and a positive-return cam. The cam movement is limited such that the door opening force and door closing force are independent of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Eric C. Irwin, James R. Bowser, Michael F. Gregory
  • Patent number: 6565165
    Abstract: A composite workstation offers multiple compartments, which are created by joining structural panels in perpendicular, parallel, and opposing horizontal configurations. Compartments its may contain tools, and supplies that can rapidly be accessed for use or readily secured and protected, by a single user in a field or shop application. This workstation uses individual panels, joined at intersections to form a composite self-supporting structure. The structure is configured to offer its top surfaces as a worktable. Equipment that is stored inside the compartments are engaged into useful position by utilizing leverage, pulleys, and mechanical advantage. The configuration of the structure enables dangerous and unwieldy equipment to be easily and safely used with proper off-feed surfaces and stable support in any location to which it is transported. The focus of this workstation is towards woodworking. The compact scale of the structure enables conventional compact vehicles to make the workstation mobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Inventor: Harvey Donald Switkes
  • Patent number: 6565166
    Abstract: Molded plastic wall and floor mount cabinets include integral preformed electrical wire pathways, electrical boxes for mounting power receptacles or switches, junction boxes for housing interconnecting wiring, and lighting component areas. Both the wall and floor mount cabinets include a plastic primary structure that may either be a unitary molded box-like structure or a combination of top, bottom, rear, front, and side members that are then connected together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Inventors: Thomas Bulk, Kevin Sheahan
  • Patent number: 6565167
    Abstract: A computer system comprising a casing enclosing a computer core unit and a latching system including a handle mechanism for removably securing the computer core unit within the casing; wherein the handle mechanism is configured in a first position for securing the core unit into the casing and in a second position for removing the core unit from the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne Miller, Steve Holmes, Matt Rohrbach, Rick Mariano, Sung Kim, Perry Anderson, Eric Knopf
  • Patent number: 6565168
    Abstract: A pull-out guide assembly for a drawer comprises a first body rail, a second body rail, a first moveable rail, a second moveable rail, a first support roller mounted on the first body rail, a second support roller mounted on the second body rail, a first running roller mounted on the first moveable rail, and a second running roller mounted on the second moveable rail. The first and second body rails each have a U-shaped section including an upper web and a lower web, and the first running roller is adapted to be guided in the U-shaped section of the first body rail so as to run on the upper web or lower web thereof, and the second running roller is adapted to be guided by the U-shaped section of the second body rail so as to run on the upper web of the lower web thereof. The first running roller and the second running roller are non-rotationally connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Julius Blum Gesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventor: Karl Baliko
  • Patent number: 6565169
    Abstract: A double crisper drawer for a refrigerator includes a removable supporting structure, a first slidable tray, and a lower crisper drawer. The first slidable tray includes two side walls, a back wall, a front wall and a bottom wall. A first flange is projected outwardly on a top portion of the two side walls and back wall, the first flange being placed respectively on upper guide members located in the removable supporting structure, in order to be slidably moved with a backward and forward movement with respect to the removable supporting structure. The lower crisper drawer is also attached on lower guide members located in the removable supporting structure, the lower crisper being placed below the first slidable tray. The first slidable tray and the lower crisper drawer are independently slidably relative to one another, in relation to the removable supporting structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Comercial Acros WHirpool, S.A. de C.V.
    Inventors: Arturo Moreno-Olguin, Moisés Sanchez-Guevara, Alfredo Cuevas-Morales, Mario Alberto Chavez-Rosas, José Angel Avalos-Barcenas
  • Patent number: 6565170
    Abstract: A refrigerator with a pull out drawer has plastic cabinet and drawer liners and a closed reinforcing assembly mounted within the drawer and cabinet for supporting loads carried by the drawer. The assembly has a reinforcing brace secured within the drawer having two spaced apart wing members and a cross member connected to and extending between the wing members adjacent an inside surface of the inner liner. The assembly has a pair of telescopically extendable guide rails each mounted to one of the opposing liner side walls of the cabinet and the through the liner of the drawer to support the drawer for relative movement with the cabinet. The cabinet has a pair of reinforcing bracket members located therein each having a side reinforcing portion extending adjacent a corresponding one of the guide rails and mounted to the liner side wall by fasteners passing through the guide rails and liner side walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Camco Inc.
    Inventors: Nedo Banicevic, Muc Dang
  • Patent number: 6565171
    Abstract: Variances are introduced into at least one component of a large format inkjet printer to substantially reduce the formation of vertical bands during a printing process. In one respect, the relationship between the carriage speed and the vibrations caused by operation of the voltage receiving component is utilized in the implementation of the variances. That is, operation of the voltage receiving component creates a temporal frequency caused by its vibration which leads the carriage to vibrate at a certain rate of time (temporal frequency) as it travels across the printing pass. At least by virtue of the travel across the printing pass, the carriage converts the temporal frequency caused by the vibrations of the carriage and the voltage receiving component into a spatial frequency. The temporal frequency generally translates into a delay or an event that occurs at certain moments in time which may cause drops of ink that are fired to be misplaced on the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Antoni Gil Miquel, Jesus Soto, Fabien Chanussot
  • Patent number: 6565172
    Abstract: A piezo-resistive thermal detection apparatus for detecting the temperature of fluid inside a cavity device, such as the temperature of ink inside an inkjet print head. The apparatus includes a detection region and a plurality of piezo-resistive devices. The detection region is disposed on the inkjet print head in the form of a rectangle and made of a semiconductor material. The piezo-resistive devices are disposed on centers of each side of the detection region, wherein stresses produced by deformation of the piezo-resistive devices are exerted on the piezo-resistive devices. When the temperature of the ink rises, the surface of the inkjet print head is heated and expands, resulting in the deformation of the thermal detection apparatus. The piezo-resistive devices experience large amounts of stress due to the deformation of the thermal detection apparatus and thus the resistances of the piezo-resistive devices change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Benq Corporation
    Inventors: Tsung-Wei Huang, Chih-Ching Chen
  • Patent number: 6565173
    Abstract: A fast and economical thermal inkjet printer prints on elongate print media, such as on a strip of paper from a roll, by moving a fluid jet print cartridge a determined dimension longitudinally of the length dimension of the paper strip while printing. In order to print a document that is wider than the width the print cartridge can print in a single scan of the paper, the cartridge is dithered among selected lateral positions within the width of the paper strip, and successively is scanned lengthwise of the paper strip to print in each successive longitudinal printing “swath.” A capstan of the printer advances the paper strip in steps of unit dimension along the length of the paper strip, which unit dimension may be substantially equal to the determined dimension of print cartridge movement while printing, so that documents having a length greater than the determined dimension can be printed in successive parts each of a length equal to this unit dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Antoni Murcia, Matthew W. Scuri, Juan Carlos Vives
  • Patent number: 6565174
    Abstract: When a print controller detects a nozzle that is not used for a predetermined period of duration, the print controller rewrites scan data so that the nozzle will be used in a present scan printing operation. The print controller further changes an amount of sheet feed in association with the rewritten scan data. Then, the present scan printing operation is performed. It is therefore possible to prevent any nozzles from not being used continuously for the predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kamoshida, Susumu Saito
  • Patent number: 6565175
    Abstract: This invention relates to an integrated printhead (20) for ink jet printers, wherein the addressing of the various nozzles is effected in at least 3-D mode. The head (20) comprises a plurality of groups (24) of ink jet elements (21, 22) arranged in M rows and L columns wherein, in particular, the selection and activation of the different columns L are performed, under the control of an external drive circuit, by means of logic circuits (25) inside the head itself (20). The head (20) is advantageous with respect to the known art in that it does not require control of the L columns under critical conditions such as highly variable electric currents with very high peak values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Olivetti Tecnost S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Scardovi, Renato Conta
  • Patent number: 6565176
    Abstract: A thermal ink jet printing apparatus maintains stable printing output as certain characteristics of the apparatus change over its operational lifetime. The apparatus includes an ink jet print head with resistive heating elements for receiving electrical energy pulses having a voltage level and for transferring heat energy pulses having a desired energy level into adjacent ink based on the electrical energy pulses. The print head includes nozzles associated with the resistive heating elements through which droplets of the ink are ejected when the heat energy pulses are transferred into the ink. The apparatus further includes a printer controller in electrical communication with the print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Edward Anderson, Thomas Austin Fields, Paul William Graf, Yimin Guan, George Keith Parish, Kent Lee Ubellacker
  • Patent number: 6565177
    Abstract: A printing system having a printhead assembly with an integrated distributive processor that provides localized control of the thermal characteristics of a printhead. The printing system includes a controller, a power supply and a printhead assembly. The printhead assembly includes a memory device and distributive processor integrated with an ink driver head. The printhead assembly includes a system and method for measuring thermal characteristics of the printhead, providing feedback to control devices including the distributive processor and making control decisions based upon the measure thermal characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co., L.P.
    Inventor: George H. Corrigan, III
  • Patent number: 6565178
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate and a resistive element attached to a region of the substrate and formed of a first material having a first temperature coefficient of resistivity. In addition, the apparatus includes a pair of traces coupled to the resistive element, attached to the substrate, and formed of a second material having a second temperature coefficient of resistivity with the first material selected so that the first temperature coefficient of resistivity exceeds the second temperature coefficient of resistivity. An apparatus includes a substrate and a resistive element disposed onto a first region of the substrate and formed of a first material having a first temperature coefficient of resistivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Matthew D Giere, Satya Prakash, Michael J. Barbour
  • Patent number: 6565179
    Abstract: There is provided a method for determining the end of life of a pen having a printhead with a plurality of nozzles. The method includes performing a drop detection on the printhead to check if any nozzle of the printhead is malfunctioning and storing the result of the drop detection together with the results of previous drop detections to keep a history of the health status of each nozzle. The method also includes evaluating the history of the health status of each nozzle of the printhead, and deciding whether or not to mark the pen as an end of life pen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Xavier Bruch, Xavier Girones, Antoni Murcia, Christopher Taylor, Ramon Vega
  • Patent number: 6565180
    Abstract: An ink jet printer has an ink jet printing head with a plurality of nozzles, an ink jet compensation controlling device for driving the ink jet printing head, and a detecting device for detecting a status of the nozzles. When the detecting device detects at least one malfunctioning nozzle, the ink jet compensation controlling device selects a group of normal nozzles according to the position of the malfunctioning nozzle and controls the group of normal nozzles to form corresponding printing strips on the document. The printing strips formed by the normal nozzles cover an area of the printing strips normally formed by the malfunctioning nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: BenQ Corporation
    Inventors: Chia-Lei Yu, Chien-Hsien Ho
  • Patent number: 6565181
    Abstract: A printing cartridge includes a housing. An array of switch actuators is positioned on the housing. The array of switch actuators represents data relating to at least one of: a serial number of the cartridge, a media and a media colorant so that when a switch array is actuated by the array of switch actuators, a signal carrying such data can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 6565182
    Abstract: A printing device is provided which includes ink-dispensing structure which carries a printhead with a leading edge, and which moves in a printing sweep downstream across a printzone, a fairing structure, and a mounting structure which supports the fairing structure for movement with the printhead downstream from the leading edge of the printhead in a position configured to reduce aerodynamic turbulence associated with the leading edge of the printhead during movement of the printhead downstream across the printzone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Fredrickson, Antonio Gomez
  • Patent number: 6565183
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a conveying device for conveying a recording sheet, a first recording device for discharging ink to a first surface of the recording sheet conveyed by the conveying device to thereby record an image thereon, a second recording device for discharging ink to a second surface opposite to the first surface of the recording sheet conveyed by the conveying device, a first ink receiving device disposed at the first surface side of the recording sheet for receiving the ink discharged from the second recording device, and a second ink receiving device disposed at the second surface side of the recording sheet for receiving the ink discharged from the first recording device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Fumitaka Goto, Masami Amemiya, Hajime Yamamoto, Hideyuki Sugioka, Kenji Shinjo, Toshihiko Bekki
  • Patent number: 6565184
    Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus detects loading of an ink cartridge into a loading portion based on information allocated to the cartridge. The cartridge carries characteristic information including information about manufacturing time of the cartridge. A recovery operation is executed by a discharge recovery device with the recovery operation being determined based on a time difference between the manufacturing time of the cartridge and the loading time when the cartridge is loaded into the loading portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Numata, Kazuyoshi Takahashi, Yoshiaki Takayanagi, Souhei Tanaka, Hiroshi Tajika, Noribumi Koitabashi, Hitoshi Sugimoto, Miyuki Fujita
  • Patent number: 6565185
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a technique for reducing the likelihood that cleaning will cause nozzle clogging. In periodic automatic cleaning of a printer that is not being used, the ejecting of ink droplets from each nozzle is tested prior to the cleaning to determine whether each nozzle is an operating nozzle capable of ejecting ink droplets or a non-operating nozzle incapable of ejecting ink droplets. The nozzles are only cleaned if non-operating nozzles are detected. The testing of the nozzles is also automatically carried out after cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hironori Endo
  • Patent number: 6565186
    Abstract: To reduce a quantity of uselessly consumed ink when an ink jet head is recoverably activated, the capacity of an ink path communicated with a group of ejecting ports having a small flow rate coefficient is determined to be smaller than that of an ink path communicated with a group of ejecting ports having a large flow rate coefficient. While all of plural groups of, ejecting ports are fully covered with a common recovering cap with the aid of sucking means, ink is, sucked from the plural groups of ejecting ports. When the ink remaining in the region extending from the plural groups of ejecting ports to predetermined positions in a plurality of ink paths communicated with the plural groups of ejecting ports is discharged, ink discharging positions are dislocated to predetermined positions in a plurality of ink paths to positionally coincide with the predetermined positions in the substantially same timing relationship after ejection recovering treatment starts to be conducted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Hattori, Yoichi Tosaka, Mineo Kaneko, Takayoshi Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 6565187
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid ejecting head and a liquid ejecting apparatus which permits downsizing of the liquid ejecting head and cost reduction, and furthermore, provides a liquid ejecting head and a liquid ejecting apparatus which permits size reduction of the liquid ejecting head, improvement of reliability of the electrical mounting section, and cost reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiichiro Karita, Manabu Sueoka, Toru Yamane, Junji Yasuda
  • Patent number: 6565188
    Abstract: A cleaning device for an inkjet recording head is provided for unerringly cleaning wiper blades by means of a wiper cleaner. An inkjet recording device is also provided. In the cleaning device, a rib and a canopy are formed on a blade cleaner used to scrape off any foreign matter, such as ink, stuck on the wiper blades. The range of contact of the wiper blades and the blade cleaner when a cleaning operation is started is limited. Accordingly, the canopy limits the range of accumulation of the foreign matter scraped off from the wiper blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Saito
  • Patent number: 6565189
    Abstract: In a pre-ejected ink receiving device including a waste ink absorber for receiving ink dropped from a pre-ejection as waste ink, since ink mist flows are not controlled properly, the conventional ink-jet recording apparatus has a big problem of contamination, caused by flown up ink mist from a pre-eject port and flown out ink mist from a gap between the pre-eject port and the waste ink absorber, which is accumulated in the recording apparatus by repeated recording operation. A waste ink absorber with rough density to which an ink droplet ejected by the pre-ejection directly collides, solves the above-mentioned problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kaneji Yamada, Tetsuya Edamura
  • Patent number: 6565190
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, an inkjet printer selectively energizes ink ejection elements in a scanning printhead such that the top nozzles of the printhead do not always print the first line of text in a scan. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by occasionally aligning the bottommost nozzle in the printhead with the bottom of the last full line of text to be printed during the scan. The alignment of the printhead with respect to the lines of text to be printed is varied from page to page or varied at other intervals so that the top nozzles and bottom nozzles are used about equally. This will also cause more uniform wear of the middle nozzles. The more uniform wearing of the nozzles and ink ejection elements extends the life of the printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Gary M. Nobel, Nicholas Nicoloff, Jr., Thomas M. Sabo, Clayton L. Holstun
  • Patent number: 6565191
    Abstract: A method for reducing visual printing defects produced by an ink jet printer includes the steps of providing a first printhead nozzle array spaced apart from a second printhead nozzle array in a main scan direction; defining a plurality of rasters for scanning during a first unidirectional scan of the first printhead nozzle array and the second printhead nozzle array; and printing on a print medium with both the first printhead nozzle array and the second printhead nozzle array to form printing lines traced along at least a portion of the plurality of rasters during the first unidirectional scan, wherein the first printhead nozzle array is controlled to print in a first shingling pattern and the second printhead nozzle array is controlled to print in a second shingling pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: John Philip Bolash, Michael Anthony Marra, III, Randall David Mayo
  • Patent number: 6565192
    Abstract: Multiple-pass printing is performed with no print medium advance between selected pairs of printing passes. In some embodiments, an entire printing operation (20, 30) can be conducted in one multiple-pass mode. Alternatively, a switch from n-pass to m-pass mode may occur during a printing operation (50, 70, 90) but with a uniform print medium advance throughout. Different printing masks are used for the different stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventors: Lluis Vinals, Josep Maria Serra
  • Patent number: 6565193
    Abstract: A component for a printhead module includes a printhead chip and a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) on which the chip is mounted. A carrier having fluid communication channels defined therein supplies ink to the chip. The PCB is bonded to the carrier in a liquid tight manner so that the PCB forms a wall of an ink supply chamber of the printhead module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Tobin Allen King, Garry Raymond Jackson
  • Patent number: 6565194
    Abstract: To keep a toner (1) deposited on a transportation belt (21) from contact with a printhead (4) and prevent the clogging of toner passage holes (6) of the printhead (4), the toner (1) on a toner holding member (2) is ejected toward the transportation belt (21) through the toner passage holes (6) after the movement of the transportation belt (21) is initiated such that the cleaning of the toner passage holes (6) is initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Ogawa, Hiroshi Saegusa, Yoshitaka Kitaoka, Taichi Itoh
  • Patent number: 6565195
    Abstract: Volume of fluid feed channels is adjusted for drop generators that are staggered with respect to a feed edge. In one embodiment, barrier islands are positioned, sized, and/or shaped to adjust the volume. In another embodiment, protrusions or walls thereof are positioned to adjust the volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Dustin W. Blair
  • Patent number: 6565196
    Abstract: A plurality of actuator blocks having a vibration plate, a common electrode, a piezoelectric element, and a separate electrode, are produced, and the plurality of actuator blocks are transferred onto a single pressure chamber plate. The actuator blocks are arranged in a zigzag pattern so that adjacent actuator blocks are spaced apart from each other in the scanning direction while partially overlapping with each other with respect to the head width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Matsuo, Koji Ikeda, Atsushi Sogami, Masaichiro Tatekawa
  • Patent number: 6565197
    Abstract: An ink jet printer having an inking system that includes an ink jet cartridge, a large ink reservoir mounted inside the housing of the ink jet printer at a location which is remote from the ink jet cartridge and tubing connecting the ink reservoir to the ink jet cartridge. The large ink reservoirs may be pancake shaped, and may be stacked in side by side horizontal manner within the housing. A portion of the reservoir is transparent, and is visible to the operator for operator monitoring of ink level through openings in the printer housing placed in juxtaposition with the transparent portion of the large ink reservoirs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Encad, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Murray, William M. Fries, David A. Purcell
  • Patent number: 6565198
    Abstract: In an ink jet printer of the present invention, in order to reduce the manufacturing cost, an inexpensive EEPROM enabling only sequential accesses is applied for storage elements incorporated in a black ink cartridge and a color ink cartridge. The data array of a memory cell included in each of the storage elements mounted on the ink cartridges is determined in such a manner that a second storage area, in which rewritable data, for example, data on remaining quantities of inks in the ink cartridge, are stored, is accessed prior to a first storage area, in which read only data are stored. This configuration enables the rewritable data to be securely written into the second storage area even after a power-off operation. The second storage area has two memory divisions allocated to each ink, that is, a first ink remaining quantity memory division and a second ink remaining quantity memory division. Latest data on the remaining quantity of each ink is alternately written into these two memory divisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihisa Saruta, Satoshi Shinada
  • Patent number: 6565199
    Abstract: An ink cartridge (3) including an ink reservoir portion having a porous member (37) for storing ink and an ink supply portion (39) has an ink inducing element (47) disposed between the ink reservoir portion and the ink supply portion (39). The ink inducing element (47) is made of bundle of fibers in which each fiber is disposed in parallel to the direction of ink supplying from the ink reservoir to the ink supply portion (39), and one end of the ink inducing element (47) is press-touched to the porous member (37).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ujita, Masanori Takenouchi, Keiichiro Tsukuda
  • Patent number: 6565200
    Abstract: A solid ink stick loader for loading solid ink into a printer. The loader includes a chute having at least one feed channel, a lower ink guide located within the at least one feed channel, and a push block located within the at least one feed channel, wherein the push block includes a guide following portion that at least partially engages the lower ink guide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Brent R. Jones
  • Patent number: 6565201
    Abstract: A solid ink loader for feeding solid ink sticks in a phase change ink jet printer, which includes a feed chute with at least one feed channel for receiving at least one ink stick, a push block having at least one push block wall located inside the at least one feed channel, and a hub having at least one internal hub wall. The at least one internal hub wall is situated concentric with the at least one push block wall, and the hub can rotate substantially freely relative to the push block. A damping fluid is located between the at least one internal hub wall and the at least one push block wall for substantially increasing the friction between the hub and the push block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Brent R. Jones
  • Patent number: 6565202
    Abstract: There is provided a pigmented aqueous ink set including: (a) A concentrated black ink having a pigment concentration up to 10% by weight; and (b) at least one dilute ink having a pigment concentration below that of the concentrated ink; wherein all the inks additionally includes an aqueous carrier medium and at least one of the set of inks includes a combination of carbon black and Pigment Blue 60.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Ilford Imaging UK Limited
    Inventors: Peter Edward Rose, Jason Paul Thom, Nicholas Alexander Walker
  • Patent number: 6565203
    Abstract: Ink composition, especially for inkjet printing apparatus, which includes an aqueous liquid vehicle in which solid pigment particles are dispersed. To achieve improved functionality for producing water-resistant printouts, the pigment particles are made as continuously colored thermoplastic particles. Moreover, the subject matter of the invention is an ink printing process matched to this ink composition and as well as an ink printing apparatus therefore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Artech GmbH Design + Production in Plastic
    Inventors: Helmut Michele, Dirk Klein, Peter Busch
  • Patent number: 6565204
    Abstract: There are provided an image-forming method which is capable of improving image quality of a transfer image, and a transfer sheet film therefor, as well as an image-forming apparatus. An image is printed on at least one transfer sheet film provided for use on at least one of front and back surfaces of a print medium, by using sublimable dye ink, thereby causing the sublimable dye ink to be held in the transfer sheet film. The at least one transfer sheet film and the print medium are overlaid to each other such that a printing surface of the transfer sheet film faces the at least one surface of the print medium. The image is transferred by heating the transfer sheet film and the print medium overlaid to each other while applying pressure thereto and thereby causing diffusion of the sublimable dye ink held in the transfer sheet film in the at least one surface of the print medium for color development. Then, the transfer sheet film is removed from the print medium having the image formed thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Matsuhashi, Ayao Ogawa
  • Patent number: 6565205
    Abstract: An ink jet printing method, comprising the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with an inkjet recording element comprising a support having thereon a porous image-receiving layer comprising particles in a binder, the particles having a primary particle size of from about 7 to about 40 nm in diameter which may be aggregated up to about 300 nm, the image-receiving layer being coated from an acidic aqueous dispersion, and the recording element containing a subbing layer between the support and the porous image-receiving layer, the subbing layer comprising a basic material which is capable of raising the surface pH of the image-receiving layer at least about 2 pH units; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition; and D) printing on the image-receiving layer using the ink jet ink composition in response to the digital data signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Lori J. Shaw-Klein, Alexandra D. Bermel, Colin Martin
  • Patent number: 6565206
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink-jet print method which can uniformly distribute inks within each pixel array when a color filter is to be colored in a plurality of scanning operations. In order to achieve this object, there is provided an ink-jet print method of coloring each pixel array on a substrate by using an ink-jet head having a plurality of ink discharging nozzles while changing the ink discharging nozzle used to color one line for every scanning operation, including discharging the inks discharged in the plurality of scanning operations such that the inks are arranged at equal intervals within each pixel array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Okabe, Hiroshi Fujiike