Patents Issued in September 14, 2004
  • Patent number: 6789855
    Abstract: An automatic application hand brake apparatus is provided for automatically applying at least one brake member secured to a railway vehicle with the hand brake assembly. The apparatus comprises an operating member having at least one ratchet attached to a drive shaft of said hand brake assembly. An application cylinder is connected to a drive arm pivotally attached to the drive shaft and containing and operating pawl engaging the operating ratchet. The reciprocating motion of the drive arm caused by the application cylinder enables reciprocal rotation of the operating arm and furthermore causing application of at least one brake member. A plurality of control valves are connected to the source of the fluid pressure for initiating and regulating the supply of fluid pressure to the application cylinder and for stopping an automatic application of such hand brake in case of the emergency or a reversal of the unintended activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Robert A. Herron
  • Patent number: 6789856
    Abstract: A lockout device couplable between a pneumatically-operable vehicle parking brake and a plunger-actuated control valve. The plunger is movable between a brake-disengaging position in which pressurized air flows through the control valve to the parking brake, and a brake-engaging position in which such air flow is prevented. The device has a shaft which is rotatable with respect to the plunger. The shaft has recessed and non-recessed portions. The plunger has a second recess. A key is removably couplable to the shaft and is rotatable between an engaged position in which the shaft's non-recessed portion protrudes into the second recess while the plunger is in the brake-engaging position, preventing movement of the plunger into the brake-disengaging position; and, a disengaged position in which the recessed portion of the shaft intersects the second recess, permitting movement of the plunger between the brake-disengaging and engaging positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Inventor: Peter Bottiglieri
  • Patent number: 6789857
    Abstract: An improved brake hydraulic pressure generating device is provided in which the hydraulic pressure supplied from a hydraulic pressure source is adjusted to a value corresponding to the brake operating force by means of a pressure adjusting valve which is activated according to displacement of an input piston or a simulator piston, and while the device is normal, a master cylinder is activated by the output hydraulic pressure. If the hydraulic pressure source or a hydraulic line connecting thereto fails, a sufficient braking force is ensured with a short stroke. There are provided a shutoff valve which shuts off communication between the simulator chamber and the atmospheric reservoir when the stroke of the input piston has exceeded a predetermined value, and a check valve which permits the flow of fluid from the atmospheric reservoir to the simulator chamber. This suppresses an unavailable stroke of the simulator piston without impairing the return of the simulator piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihito Kusano
  • Patent number: 6789858
    Abstract: In a vehicle having an ABS control system, a braking control of a right and left rear wheels can be independently carried out when a lateral acceleration exceeds a lateral acceleration value set beforehand. When the ABS control is operated at one of the right and left rear wheels, the control system executes a stepwise pressure increase control which provides a stepwise pressure increase for the other rear wheel up to a braking pressure to be reached at a start of the control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Soejima, Tohru Akiyama
  • Patent number: 6789859
    Abstract: A metallic cabinet includes a bottom board, two lateral boards detachably joined to lateral edges of the bottom board, a lower rear board detachably joined to a rear edge the bottom board, a top board detachably joined to tops of the lateral boards, an upper rear board detachably joined to an upper edge of the lower rear board, a supporting rod detachably joined to front portions of inward sides of the lateral boards at two ends, and at least one door pivoted to the bottom and the top boards at two ends thereof respectively; the above parts are formed with corresponding holes and engaging protrusions shaped such as to be detachable from, and joinable to, each other, and are not joined together when the cabinet is packed for transportation or storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Taiwan Ultra Power Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Chiao-Ling Ho
  • Patent number: 6789860
    Abstract: A deal drawer apparatus (16) is used in carrying out transactions by transporting items between a service provider on a service provider side (34) of a wall (14) and a customer side (12) of the wall. The deal drawer apparatus includes a drawer assembly (76) with a movable drawer (92). The drawer may be moved by a mechanical drive (114) through a releasable connector (116). The drawer may be moved alternatively by connection of a handle (154) to the drawer such as through a releasable coupling (152). The drawer assembly is releasably mounted in a housing (36) through interengaging projections and recesses (82, 80). Movement of the drawer is operative to open and close a door (22). When the drawer is extended a customer is enabled to access the interior area of the drawer. When the drawer is retracted, a service provider accesses the interior area of the drawer through an opening (40), access through which is controlled by at least one movable panel (42).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Diebold, Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark DePietro, Robert V. Artino, Steven R. Davis
  • Patent number: 6789861
    Abstract: A product support system for an oven has at least one product support, at least one pair of telescopic guides (23), each of which has at least one internal track and one external track, and wall-mounted holders (24, 25), arranged on the side walls (1a) of the oven muffle, which are designed for a releasable attachment of the telescopic guides (23) at different levels of the oven muffle, the product support being housed above the telescopic guides (23) in the oven muffle able to be pulled out from the latter. In order to create a product support system in which only the minimum necessary number of telescopic guides is present in the oven and a simple and comfortable change of levels of the product supports is nevertheless possible without time-consuming disassembly work, the product support is connected in fixed or releasable manner, as a product support unit which can be removed from the oven, to the pair of telescopic guides (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Accuride International GmbH
    Inventor: Klaus Dobberstein
  • Patent number: 6789862
    Abstract: A runner for slidably supporting a drawer includes a telescopic rail assembly having a first rail and a second rail. The rails are movable one along another to allow the telescopic rail assembly to be varied between an elongated position and a shortened position. The runner further includes a retainer having a first piece fastened to the first rail and a second piece fastened to the second rail. The first piece of the retainer is adapted to releasably snap onto the second piece when the telescopic rail assembly is in the elongated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: King Slide Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hwang Shih-Long, Chen Ken-Ching, Chih-Lin Ou
  • Patent number: 6789863
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording unit for effecting recording on a recording medium, and a conveying unit for conveying the recording medium. The recording apparatus further includes a power input terminal adapted to be switched ON/OFF by the ignition key switch of an automobile, and a controller for executing the operation sequence of the recording apparatus in accordance with the ON/OFF state of the power input terminal. In addition, a method of controlling the above-described recording apparatus includes executing the operation sequence of the recording apparatus in accordance with the ON/OFF state of the power input terminal switched ON/OFF by the ignition key switch of an automobile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Nojima, Osamu Sato, Atsuhiro Tsuchiya, Akio Kato, Masahiko Kubota, Koichi Kuno, Hiroyuki Tamaki, Taku Higashiyama
  • Patent number: 6789864
    Abstract: A method of printing cartridge maintenance including determining remaining useful life of a printing cartridge, and refilling at least a portion of the printing cartridge if the remaining useful life is above a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Quintin T. Phillips
  • Patent number: 6789865
    Abstract: This invention provides a low-cost, economical printing apparatus and printing system. For example, characteristic information of a printhead which is described, printed, adhered, or formed on a printhead or its accessory (e.g., a packaging paper box) in a format identifiable to human or an electronic device is man-machine-interactively inputted to a host or electronically inputted to the host by a barcode reader or the like. The printing apparatus discriminates whether or not a command sent from the host via an interface is a command that includes characteristic information of the printhead, and control is made to write the characteristic information of the print head into a non-volatile memory (EEPROM) in accordance with the discriminating result. The printhead is controlled in accordance with the characteristic information written into the non-volatile memory to execute a print process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyuki Suzuki, Sohei Tanaka, Masafumi Wataya, Yasutomo Watanabe, Akira Kuronuma, Toru Nakayama, Shinichiro Takahama, Takuji Katsu
  • Patent number: 6789866
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method includes the steps of inputting a set of driving pulses to a heater element so that the heater element is repeatedly activated by the driving pulses, repeatedly generating a bubble in ink in an ink path in accordance with repeated activation of the heater element, and separately jetting ink droplets from an ink jetting orifice due to the bubble repeatedly generated in the ink, a number of the ink droplets being equal to a number of the driving pulses input as a set to the heater element, the ink droplets jetted from the ink jetting orifice forming a single dot on a recording medium, wherein a time interval at which the driving pulses are input to the heater element is equal to or greater than 4T, T being a time period from a time at which the inputting of the pulses to the heater element starts to a time at which the bubble reaches a maximum size, and each ink droplet is a slender pillar so that a length of each ink droplet is at least three times as great as a diameter thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Ricoh Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuro Sekiya, Kyuhachiro Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 6789867
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printing apparatus which can realize both a high speed printing and a high quality printing without color deviations when each of the print areas is printed in a plurality of scans by a plurality of print heads ejecting different kinds of ink. For this purse, this invention has a controller for controlling for each print head independently widths and positions of active nozzle groups in the print heads, the active nozzle groups representing those of the plurality of nozzles in the print heads which are used for printing, wherein the controller controls the widths and positions of the active nozzle groups according to a set printing condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiichiro Takahashi, Naoji Otsuka, Hitoshi Sugimoto, Hitoshi Nishikori, Osamu Iwasaki, Minoru Teshigawara, Takeshi Yazawa, Toshiyuki Chikuma
  • Patent number: 6789868
    Abstract: The present invention provides a contamination preventing method during the conveyance of a recording medium of an image forming apparatus in which the recording medium is held while conveyed and an image is formed on the recording medium. A contact portion of the recording medium held by the holding member is held only for a predetermined time and the contact portion is changed from time to time, thereby preventing or reducing contamination of the recording medium caused by a recording medium conveying unit regardless of the type of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenshi Hata, Shigeru Watanable
  • Patent number: 6789869
    Abstract: The present invention relates to printer-control apparatus and method that achieve PF measurements at the time of printer power-on and also other occasions for precise control to a paper-feed motor for driving a paper-feed mechanism of a printer to be used in variety of environments even at a small paper-feeding amount in one paper-feeding action. The present invention also relates to a storage medium storing a computer program for executing the printer-control method. The printer-control apparatus and method according to the present invention generate and execute an operation for PF-measurements to measure a motor current in accordance with load on paper feeding while a paper-feed motor is running at a constant-speed driving in accordance with detection of several statuses in addition to printer power-on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuji Takeishi
  • Patent number: 6789870
    Abstract: A method and system for calibrating a device having a first fluid source that ejects a first drop quantity and a second fluid source that ejects a second drop quantity by, for example, printing a pattern having a first portion and a second portion; obtaining a relationship between the first drop quantity and the second drop quantity from the pattern; and adjusting data used to determine quantities of fluid to eject from the first or second fluid sources based on the relationship between the first and second drop quantities. Other embodiments of the invention are directed to a calibration apparatus and system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Arthur H. Barnes, Matthew A. Shepherd
  • Patent number: 6789871
    Abstract: An inkjet printhead heater chip has an integral voltage regulator that derives two output voltages from a single chip input voltage. One of the two output voltages powers control logic circuitry as the other powers FET drivers. Preferred output voltages include +3.3 volts for the control logic circuitry and +7.5 volts for the FET drivers. A Vgs of the FET is about +7.5 volts which enables a FET area width of about 400 microns. Outputs of the control logic circuitry provide input to the FET drivers. A resistive heater for ejecting ink couples between a drain of the FET and the chip input voltage. Voltage regulating capacitors exist on the heater chip in parallel with the input voltage and each of the output voltages. Preferred capacitors have a gate oxide and a polysilicon layer overlying a substrate. Inkjet printers for housing the printheads are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: John Glenn Edelen, George Keith Parish, Kristi Maggard Rowe
  • Patent number: 6789872
    Abstract: An image recording apparatus is provided which includes a test pattern reader for reading a test pattern image recorded by respective recording heads; an image recording position error detector for detecting, from the read test pattern, an error in image recording position for each recording element of each recording head relative to a predetermined image recording position; a correction data generator for producing correction data for correcting the error in image recording position for each recording element of each recording head in accordance with the detected recording position error; a correction unit for correcting an image signal to be recorded by each recording element of each recording head, on the basis of the produced correction data; and a controller for operating the test pattern reader, the image recording position error detector, and the correction unit at a particular time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Ioka, Yasuhiro Komiya, Toshiyuki Ebihara, Seiji Tatsuta
  • Patent number: 6789873
    Abstract: A maintenance system for an inkjet printhead is relocated to a position proximate the printhead to maintain the printhead. The relocation is performed by temporarily attaching the maintenance station to the media carrier of the inkjet printer. The maintenance station may be stowed in a docking station when it is not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Creo SRL
    Inventor: Andrew J. S. Booth
  • Patent number: 6789874
    Abstract: A method of cleaning spaced nozzles in a printhead of a drop-on-demand inkjet printer in which a slight negative pressure is desired in an ink reservoir in order to prevent ink drool from the nozzles, comprises: deforming a compliant pressure regulator membrane that covers an opening in an ink reservoir, inwardly at the opening, to decrease the ink holding volume of the reservoir; deforming a compliant valve membrane that covers an opening in the ink reservoir and caps an ink conduit projecting into the reservoir, outwardly at the opening and away from the ink conduit, to uncap the ink conduit in order that the ink conduit can provide ink delivery at a positive pressure into the reservoir and out through the nozzles to clean the nozzles; returning the compliant valve membrane inwardly towards the ink conduit to recap the ink conduit in order to terminate ink delivery into the reservoir; and returning the compliant pressure regulator membrane outwardly to increase the ink holding volume of the reservoir in ord
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Steven J. Dietl
  • Patent number: 6789875
    Abstract: In an implementation of printing mechanism hinged printbar assembly, a hinged printbar assembly pivots about a hinge between a print position and a service position. Print modules coupled to the hinged printbar assembly each have one or more printheads and the printheads of the print modules collectively span a width of a print media when the hinged printbar assembly is in the print position. A wiper assembly services the printheads on the hinged printbar assembly and includes printhead caps to cover the printheads on the hinged printbar assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Geoff M. Wotton, John A. Barinaga, Daniel J. Fredrickson
  • Patent number: 6789876
    Abstract: An improved, large-format digital inkjet print engine that includes a group of co-operating print engine subassemblies that embody various novel elements that both discreetly and cumulatively advance the current art. The group of subassemblies and sensors cooperate to produce high quality graphic images using a plurality of different colors of ink and different types of print media at speeds several times faster than similar conventional inkjet printers. In addition, the use of cooperating elements permit the manufacture of complex, large-format digital color inkjet print engines that are less expensive to fabricated, operated, and serviced. The present invention finds use in large-format digital color printing and imaging, where successful repeatable printing requires precise placement of droplets of ink, toner or other marking material on a print medium such as paper, vinyl, film, or similar substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Inventors: Aaron G. Barclay, Dale G. Nordenstrom, Daniel L. Jankovich, Dennis B. Shell, Ivor F. Matz, John L. Knaack, Kerry R. Anderson, Kevin R. Campion, Larry W. Gonier, Mark E. Olsen, Peter E. Malecha, Peter N. Ladas, Richard J. Bigaoutte, Robert A. Schmidt, Steven L. Lidke, Wade A. Kragtorp
  • Patent number: 6789877
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ink-jet printing head, and an ink-jet printing apparatus and method which enable not only larger-diameter nozzles but also smaller-diameter nozzles to be sufficiently recovered. In an ink-jet printing head according to the present invention, the number of smaller-diameter nozzles is larger than that of larger-diameter nozzles. Further, a plurality of ink channels include first ink channels in communication with the larger-diameter nozzles and second ink channels in communication with the smaller-diameter nozzles. The first ink channels and the second ink channels are mixed and arranged along an ink supply port so that a group of smaller-diameter nozzles composed of a plurality of the smaller-diameter nozzles is arranged between the lager-diameter nozzles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Murakami, Michinari Mizutani, Takashi Inoue
  • Patent number: 6789878
    Abstract: A printhead assembly includes a carrier having a fluid manifold defined therein, and a plurality of printhead dies each mounted on the carrier and including a first nozzle set and a second nozzle set. The fluid manifold includes a first chamber and a second chamber such that the first nozzle set of each of the printhead dies communicates with the first chamber of the fluid manifold and the second nozzle set of each of the printhead dies communicates with the second chamber of the fluid manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Joseph E. Scheffelin, Paul Mark Haines, Michael Martin, Melissa D. Boyd
  • Patent number: 6789879
    Abstract: An apparatus and method distributing data for high-speed digital printing on a printable material, includes a printer processor for receiving preflighted image data in a vector-oriented page description language, separating the color image data into a plurality of monochrome image data sets, and distributing the monochrome image data sets to respective print heads. Each print head raster image processes the monochrome images into bitmap images for printing on the printable material. A computational complexity of ripping the monochrome image data sets is reduced by preflighting, and distributed over the plurality of print heads to enable high speed printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Escher-Grad Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Najeeb Khalid
  • Patent number: 6789880
    Abstract: A microinjector uses bubbles as virtual valves to eject droplets of different sizes. The microinjector is in fluid communications with a reservoir and has a substrate, an orifice layer, and a plurality of nozzles. The substrate has a manifold for receiving ink from the reservoir. The orifice layer is positioned on the top of the substrate so that a plurality of chambers are formed between the orifice layer and the top of the substrate. Each of the nozzles has an orifice and at least three bubble generating components. The bubble generating components are selectively driven by a driving circuit so that each nozzle can eject droplets of different sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: BenQ Corporation
    Inventors: Chung-Cheng Chou, Tsung-Ping Hsu, In-Yao Lee, Wei-Lin Chen, Hung-Sheng Hu
  • Patent number: 6789881
    Abstract: A modular printhead for a digital printer wherein the modules (2) may be mechanically aligned using specifically designed frame (3) supporting the modules (2). The frame (3) having a plurality of mounting sites (19) for mounting respective printhead modules (2) to the frame (3); wherein, at least one of the mounting sites (19) having mechanical adjustment mechanism (15, 16, 17 and 18) for reducing input movements to effect minute adjustments of the position of the printhead module (2) with respect to the frame (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 6789882
    Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium comprises a movable recording member facing a recording medium to record on said recording medium by serially moving with respect to the recording apparatus main body; a movement mechanism for serially moving said movable recording member; and plural flexible members for connecting the movable recording member and the recording apparatus main body, which are connected with the movable recording member from the sides opposite to each other with the movement path of the movable recording member between them, hence making it possible to reduce the influence on the positional precision of the movable recording member and the movement precision thereof as well, which is exerted by force given to the movable recording member by the flexible members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Soichi Hiramatsu, Tomoyuki Nagase
  • Patent number: 6789883
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an inkjet printing system configured for receiving a replaceable ink container. The replaceable ink container has an ink extraction characteristic that varies with ink level in the replaceable ink container. The inkjet printing system includes an ink level determining device for determining ink level within the replaceable ink container. Also included is a control device for selecting a print mode based on ink extraction characteristics of the replaceable ink container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Rory A. Heim, David R. Otis, Jr., David Olsen
  • Patent number: 6789884
    Abstract: A system and method for the fabrication of a fluid, gas and/or vacuum flow system (10) having a laminate gasket manifold (14) containing a plurality of bi-directional fluid-flow channels (22) therein. Initially, a photoimagable polyimide dry film resist layer (44) is applied to one or more stiffening elements (46) in order to form laminate sub-layers (42). The resist is then patterned to form a plurality of openings therein. Selectively, the laminate sub-layers are etched to form alignment apertures (18) therein. The resist-coated sub-layers (42) are then stacked such that the alignment apertures (18) therein are aligned to each other, respectively, to form bi-directional fluid-flow channels (22). Heat and pressure are then applied to the stack of laminate sub-layers (42) at 70-75 degrees C. in a vacuum laminator for 10 to 30 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: John R. Debesis, Larry L. Lapa, Edwin A. Mycek
  • Patent number: 6789885
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a configuration for forming a ventilation aperture having a small cross section, whereby a sealing part is placed in a passageway and the ventilation aperture is formed between the sealing part and the inner wall of the passageway. In order to simplify manufacturing and, in particular, make possible the use of injection-molded plastic parts throughout, the invention suggests that the sealing part should have a cylindrical stopper that is made of an elastically deformable material and can be inserted into the passageway, and has in its surface shell at least one axially continuous, channel-like depression, the outside diameter of which, when in the unstressed state, is oversized in comparison with the inside diameter of the passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: ARTECH GmbH design + production in plastic
    Inventors: Helmut Michele, Dirk Klein, Peter Busch
  • Patent number: 6789886
    Abstract: A microfluidic filter has a pleated filter structure having a plurality of pores through the structure. The pleated filter can be either an open loop or a closed loop pleated structure. The pore structure of the pleated filter is formed by laser ablation. The pleated filter is formed over an opening to an internal reservoir located on a rectangular plate and the microfluidic filter is used to filter fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Andrews, Bradley J. Gerner
  • Patent number: 6789887
    Abstract: This invention relates to an inkjet printing method comprising providing a liquid inkjet ink which contains a thermally responsive material and applying the liquid ink jet ink onto an inkjet recording element in an imagewise fashion, wherein the inkjet recording element has been heated to a temperature higher than the temperature of the liquid inkjet ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Zhihao Yang, Ravi Sharma, Simon Yandila
  • Patent number: 6789888
    Abstract: In conveyance of a recording medium, when a jam occurs and a belt is stopped, the recording medium loaded on the conveyance belt can be easily removed. The apparatus for rotating the conveyance belt and supplying electricity to the belt so as to attract and convey a recording medium on the surface of the belt includes an electrical feeding member capable of supplying electricity to the conveyance belt comprising portions to be fed at a first voltage value for attracting the recording medium or at a second voltage value for releasing the attraction of the recording medium; conveyance failure detection elements for detecting a conveyance failure; and a control portion for performing control of the conveyance belt and the electrical feeding member based on a detection signal of the conveyance failure detection element. The electrical feeding member supplies electricity to the conveyance belt at the second voltage value when the conveyance failure is detected by the conveyance failure detection element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kota Kiyama
  • Patent number: 6789889
    Abstract: Accurate advance of a media sheet is achieved by carrying the media sheet on a belt loop. An upstream pinch roller holds the media sheet to the belt upstream of the print zone. A downstream pinch roller holds the media sheet to the belt downstream of the print zone. A guide shim extends along the media path from a position upstream of the upstream pinch roller, passed the upstream pinch roller toward the print zone. The guide shim advances with the bottom edge of the media sheet into the print zone to stabilize the trailing edge so as to allow for a smaller minimum bottom margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Steve O Rasmussen, Steven B Elgee
  • Patent number: 6789890
    Abstract: A holddown for a hard copy device comprises a member having a surface and plural vacuum zones. Each of the vacuum zones defines a cavity in the surface having at least one port therethrough, and each cavity is defined by a sidewall circumscribing the cavity. At least one of the cavities has sidewall with a first section at a first height relative to the surface and a second section at a second height relative to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Victor H. Bruhn, Vance M. Stephens
  • Patent number: 6789891
    Abstract: An ink jet printing method, having the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with an ink jet recording element having a support having thereon a fusible, porous, image-receiving layer of non-porous polymeric particles having a core/shell structure of a polymeric, hydrophobic core covered with a polymeric, hydrophobic shell, the Tg of the polymeric, hydrophobic core being at least about 25° C. higher than the Tg of the polymeric, hydrophobic shell; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition of water, a humectant, and a water-soluble dye; and D) printing on the overcoat layer using the inkjet ink in response to the digital data signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Xiaoru Wang, Hwei-Ling Yau, Wendy S. Krzemien
  • Patent number: 6789892
    Abstract: A configuration protects a printing module in a mail processing appliance. The mail processing appliance has a supporting frame for the printing mechanism in a non-secure area and has a transverse movement device for transverse movement of a printing module. The printing module is disposed in the supporting frame such that it can move transversely with respect to a direction of mail item transport and is mechanically protected against unauthorized access. A protection cap is attached to the printing carriage and is constructed to surround an area of the variable position printing module that is to be protected. The movement area of the printing module is bounded by the walls of a box within the supporting frame. Impeding devices are provided to impede the transverse movement of the transverse movement device of the printing module once a cover has been opened or removed. The cover covers an opening in the housing, with the opening being provided for replacement of at least one ink cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia AG & Co.
    Inventors: Ulrich Hetzer, Uwe HĂ¼bler
  • Patent number: 6789893
    Abstract: Disclosed is a structure for combining assistance sunglasses to glasses for eyesight correction. The assistance sunglasses structure includes: a rotating device having a tube body and a supporting rod rotatably inserted into the tube body; assistance sunglasses having a connection rod protruding from the rotating device, a combining part formed at an end of the connection rod, two permanent magnets mounted on the combining part, a support fragment protruding from the upper end of the permanent magnets, and a connection pin protruding from the support fragment; and glasses having permanent magnets mounted on a rim bridge thereof, and a pin hole formed at the same position as the connection pin, wherein the connection pin is inserted into the pin hole, and at the same time, the permanent magnets are adhered to each other by their magnetic force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Inventor: Yong Sik Hong
  • Patent number: 6789894
    Abstract: A spectacles frame comprising two temples (12, 14), a frame body (10) having housing-forming means (22) inside which the temple bodies (12A, 14A) can be housed and from which said temple bodies can be extracted, and retaining means for retaining each of the first temple end portions inside said housing-forming means (22). Each of the first temple end portions has a retaining head, and each end portion (23′, 23″) of the housing-forming means (22) is provided with at least one constriction which is suitable for retaining a respective one of the retaining heads. Each temple body (12A, 14A) has a flexible zone (14E) which has flexibility greater than the flexibility of an ordinary portion of said temple (12A, 14A) and which can form a bend (12F, 14F) suitable for being opened out for penetrating into the housing-forming means (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Inventors: René Tredoulat, Fabio Fratti
  • Patent number: 6789895
    Abstract: Disclosed is an aspherical spectacle lens having a prismatic power to correct hereophoria of an eye. The spectacle lens has front and back surfaces, one of which is a rotationally-asymmetrical aspherical surface. When the back surface is rotationally-asymmetrical, curvature of an intersection line of a plane containing the normal to the rotationally-asymmetrical surface at a framing reference point and the rotationally-asymmetrical surface at the prism base side is larger than that at the apex side. The framing reference point is coincident with a pupil position of a user when the spectacle lens is installed on a frame. On the other hand, when the front surface is rotationally-asymmetrical, the curvature of the intersection line at the prism base side is smaller than that at the apex side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: PENTAX Corporation
    Inventor: Moriyasu Shirayanagi
  • Patent number: 6789896
    Abstract: An optical lens element including a first surface; and a second surface of complementary curvature; at least one surface exhibiting significant deviation in curvature from a standard optical surface; the first and second surfaces in combination defining an optical zone exhibiting substantially constant mean through power along at least one meridian.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Sola International Holdings, Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Alan Morris, Colin Maurice Perrott, Simon J. Edwards, Ray Steven Spratt
  • Patent number: 6789897
    Abstract: Sports theme hands-free binocular glasses having an eyeglass frame, a binocular device, and an ornamental device, where the ornamental device has an overall shape which is substantially the shape of a sports-related device, and where the ornamental device has an opening which allows light to pass through the opening and into the binocular device. The ornamental device may be hollow and adapted to enclose the binocular device, and may comprise a first design element, where the first design element has a first design element shape which is substantially the shape of an attribute of the sports-related device. The sports theme hands-free binocular glasses may be adapted for use as a hands-free device. Also, hands-free binocular glasses having an eyeglass frame, a binocular device, a decorative element and a design element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Inventor: Anita F. Smith
  • Patent number: 6789898
    Abstract: An ophthalmic lens having a complex surface and a toric or spherical surface is represented in a model using a prism reference point and a prescription point on the complex surface, the normal to the complex surface at the prism reference point, the local characteristics of the complex surface at the prescription point or around the prescription point, lens thickness measured along the axis defined by the normal to the complex surface, the plane tangential to the toric or spherical surface on the axis, and the curvatures of the toric or spherical surface. Representation of the lens in this model allows calculation of the toric or spherical surface without knowing all the characteristics of the complex surface. Calculations are simpler for the fitting of the lens into frames adapted to the wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Essilor International
    Inventors: Gilles Le Saux, Pascal Allione
  • Patent number: 6789899
    Abstract: The eye's optical characteristic measuring system of the present invention comprises a projection system 2 for projecting a primary index image on fundus of an eye under testing, a photodetection system 3 for forming a secondary index image on a photoelectric detector 21 from a reflection light beam of the primary index image, detection systems 26, 27 and 28 for measuring a light amount intensity distribution characteristic of the secondary index image based on a signal from the photoelectric detector, a correction optical system 12 arranged in an optical path shared in common with the photodetection system and the detection system and for focusing the primary index image on the fundus of the eye under testing in corrected condition according to ocular refractive characteristic of the eye under testing, and a light beam switching means 13 for switching over to a first condition to guide the reflection light beam including the scattering reflection light beam from the fundus of the eye under testing to th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Kobayashi, Gaku Takeuchi, Masahiro Shibutani
  • Patent number: 6789900
    Abstract: A combination of a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope and external laser sources is used for microphotocoagulation purposes. An opto-mechanical linkage device and beamsplitter is used to align the pivot point of the Maxwellian view of the scanning laser ophthalmoscope with the pivot point of non-scanning external laser beams. The same pivot point is necessary to minimize wavefront aberrations and to enable precise focussing of a therapeutic laser beam on the retina. An AOM and/or two-dimensional AOD can be inserted in the pathway of the Gaussian therapeutic beam to control intensity and spatial pattern of small and short-duration pulses. The location of the external laser beam on the retina is determined with the help of two synchronized detectors and image processing. One detector is used to localize moving fiducial landmarks of the retina. A second detector is used to locate on the retina the external laser aiming beam. Two different confocal apertures are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Jozef F. Van de Velde
    Inventor: Frans J Van de Velde
  • Patent number: 6789901
    Abstract: A system and method for providing images for an operator of a vehicle include the capability to receive electrical signals representing electromagnetic radiation at an image source and to generate a visual image based on the electrical signals. The system and method further include the capability to reflect different portions of the visual image with a magnifying optical element for presentation at different viewing locations, the visual image appearing as a virtual image, wherein at least one dimension of the visual image is larger than the magnifying optical element can use to present an image at one of the viewing locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventor: Alexander L. Kormos
  • Patent number: 6789902
    Abstract: A projection optical system has three LCLVs; a first color-separating mirror for separating a substantially polarized light into a first and second color lights and a third color light; a half-wave plate for rotating the polarization direction of either one(s) of the separated light; a second color-separating mirror for synthesizing the first and the third color light, and further, separating the second color light; a first PBS for separating the first and third color lights and illuminating the first and third LCLVs, respectively, and synthesizing image lights from the first and third LCLVs; a second PBS for illuminating the second LCLV and emitting a image light modulated by the second LCLV; a half-wave plate disposed external to output surface of the first PBS; and a third PBS for synthesizing three image lights, the third PBS has a dicroic characteristics and a polarization characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kohtaro Hayashi, Tomokazu Masubuchi, Tomokazu Taguchi
  • Patent number: 6789903
    Abstract: A pattern is projected onto a screen by a projector using an illumination having a non-visible wavelength. A camera, displaced several inches from the projector, observes the projected pattern whose signals are then stored to create a reference frame. The pattern is then projected onto the screen a second time with a presenter present. The camera observes the projected pattern whose signals are then stored to create a current frame, including the presenter, and signals obtained from the reference frame are compared to determine their difference. In unobscured screen areas, the pattern images match. The pattern on the presenter is displaced because of the displaced camera, and no longer matches the reference pattern, thereby identifying the presenter's silhouette area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Imatte, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Parker, Paul Vlahos, Arpag Dadourian, Arie Berman
  • Patent number: 6789904
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic apparatus with a height-adjusting device. The electronic apparatus includes a housing and an adjusting device. The adjusting device disposed in the housing includes a connecting part, a leg, a push button, and a first elastic device. The connecting part connects with the housing and includes a groove and a rack. The leg is movably disposed in the groove and further includes a protruding part. The first elastic device connects to the leg via the protruding part to engage the rack. The push button is used for adjusting the height of the leg. To keep the height of the leg, the electronic apparatus further includes a stopper for selectively preventing the first elastic device from deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: BenQ Corporation
    Inventor: Lien-Wen Chang