Patents Issued in February 6, 2007
  • Patent number: 7172229
    Abstract: The present invention teaches a shovel having a scoop with a bottom perforated by apertures and a movable sifting plate held in one of a plurality of possible positions by means of a retainer plate. The sifting plate may have apertures which do not overlap the apertures of the scoop in a first position, thus keeping the bottom of the shovel scoop closed for use as a shovel. In a second position, the sifting plate apertures may overlap the apertures of the scoop bottom so as to provide a degree of sifting ability. Either set of apertures may have a screen thereacross. The retaining plate may be biased by a spring so as to hold the sifting plate in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Inventor: Charles Elton Gorbet
  • Patent number: 7172230
    Abstract: The invention concerns a pneumatic angular gripper which includes a gripper body forming a chamber (14), a piston (12) moving alternately in said chamber, and a pair of gripper jaws (13) oscillating in opposite directions on respective rotation axes in said gripper body. Each jaw (13) is connected to the head of one piston stem (12) by means of a connecting rod (22) forming a longitudinal extension of the jaw and susceptible to angular movements in regards to the head of the stem of said piston. The connecting rod has a distal part guided and sliding in a base hole (21) formed in its respective jaw (13) and a proximal part fixed to a turning pin (23) placed on board the head of the piston stem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Gimatic S.p.A
    Inventor: Giuseppe Maffeis
  • Patent number: 7172231
    Abstract: A mobile camping facility is disclosed including a housing mounted over a top surface of a substantially rigid base plate, wherein the base plate is mounted on a bed of a trailer. The bed of the trailer is supported by a pair of wheels. The housing supports a countertop surface and includes a cover portion adapted for covering the countertop surface. A sink and a stove are operably mounted through the countertop surface. A fuel source is operably connected to the stove and separated from the stove by the countertop surface. A water source, mounted on either the base plate or on the trailer, is operably connected to the sink. A method for constructing a mobile camping facility is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Inventor: Harry M. Johnson, II
  • Patent number: 7172232
    Abstract: A console for vehicle, which has an improved usefulness with respect to the accommodation of goods or the like, is disclosed. The console comprises: a first concave portion arranged to accommodate goods, the first concave portion having a first opening on a top side opened or closed by a first cover; and a second concave portion arranged to accommodate goods and provided downwardly of the first concave portion having a second opening in the same plane as a bottom of the first concave portion, the second opening being opened or closed by a second lid. The console is structured thus way, whereby it can be moved to an appropriate location in the inside of a vehicle and placed thereon, while it has enlarged spaces for accommodating goods, and thus it has an improved usefulness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: TS Tech Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Shigenobu Chiku, Hideki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7172233
    Abstract: The visor joins to the roof of a motor vehicle to deflect heavy precipitation, such as a downpour, from a windshield. The visor is a permanent motorized device with a hollow planar cover. The cover contains a means to extend and retract the visor from the cover and over the windshield. The extension and retraction means is a spring balanced motorized cable and pulley system. The cable attaches to the rear of the visor and the visor has rollers in tracks for extending and retracting from the cover. A driver presses the switch to extend the visor as the motor unwinds the cable and the springs relax. When a downpour passes, the driver presses the switch to retract the visor as the motorized system reverses. The visor reduces vision impairment of drivers caused by precipitation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Inventor: Delores D. Walker
  • Patent number: 7172234
    Abstract: A supporting post for motor shade includes a length-adjustable extendable post, a protective sleeve movably mounted on the extendable post, a movable fixing assembly mounted on the extendable post to provide an elastic tension, and a bottom seat with a universal joint connected to a lower end of the extendable post. The supporting post is upright erected beside a car with the movable fixing assembly elastically upward abutting on a lower edge of the car. The protective sleeve prevents the rigid extendable post from abrading the car, and the bottom seat with the universal joint allows the extendable post to stably stand on a rough or slope ground surface. A shade supported on four pieces of the extendable posts is distantly located above a car to effectively shield the car from sunlight, heat, and rainwater when the car is parked in an open-air place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Inventor: Kuo Tang Chang
  • Patent number: 7172235
    Abstract: A passenger car having a roof opening and a rear opening that are selectively covered by a segmented dimensionally stable roof and a rear lid, respectively. A linkage and actuator drive are common to the roof and rear lid. A supporting structure of the rear lid is connected to a rear roof section. The roof sections are connected by four bar linkages to adjacent sections. The angular position of a supporting link relative to the vehicle body is changed by the actuator drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: CTS Fahrzeug-Dachsysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Rösler, Thomas Halbweiss, Johannes Reichel
  • Patent number: 7172236
    Abstract: A retractable Targa roof system having a windshield header, a pair of side pillars, a rollbar, a backlight, a single pivoting roof panel and at least one pivot-carrying buttress. The rigid roof panel has at least one fixedly attached swing arm independent of the side pillars and pivotally articulated to said buttress. The buttress pivot is positioned between the bases of the side pillars in transverse direction and substantially above the belt line of the vehicle. Various arrangements of the system allow for a rearward rotary motion to bring the roof panel into either externally retracted position above a forward-hinged deck lid, or internally retracted position under a rear-hinged deck lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: American Sunroof Corporation
    Inventor: Dmitri Chevtsov
  • Patent number: 7172237
    Abstract: A gas spring is mounted through a unique mount structure including a socket joint. The socket joint is mounted in a yoke for rotation through 180° about an axis of the yoke. The inventive structure provides greater freedom of movement than the prior art, and in many applications will allow rotation for more than 180°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: AVM Industries
    Inventors: Walter Douglas Bauman, David Merritt
  • Patent number: 7172238
    Abstract: A vehicle door has a supportive frame (10). A waist rail (14) and a side impact guard beam (22) are formed integrally with the supportive frame. The entire frame is made of high strength sheet steel. The door is produced by hot stamping a steel sheet blank into the shape of a supportive door frame that includes an integral waist rail (14) and a side impact guard beam (22), and hardening the shaped door frame while the frame remains in the shaping tools, and fastening an outer panel (31) to the finished door such that the side collision guard beam (22) of the frame will lie close to the outer panel (31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Gestamp Hardtech AB
    Inventors: Hans Bodin, Martin Jonsson
  • Patent number: 7172239
    Abstract: A sealing structure for sealing a vehicle door against a door opening portion of a vehicle body includes a movable door glass provided outside a door frame of the vehicle door so as to move therealong, a roof moulding attached to the door opening portion of the vehicle body, which extends continuously from a roof thereof, a roof weather strip provided within the roof moulding for sealing an upper edge of the movable door glass which is raised to its closed position, and a door glass weather strip attached outside the door frame for sealing an inside face of a peripheral end of the movable door glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Nozaki, Minoru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7172240
    Abstract: A vehicle window wind deflector, of the type which has a flange that is fitted into a window channel, has a bridge which fits around a pillar that separates a first pane of the vehicle window from a second pane of the vehicle window. At the location of the pillar it is preferred that the flange be interrupted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Inventor: Judd C. Kaufman
  • Patent number: 7172241
    Abstract: A dashboard support for a motor vehicle includes a support beam extending between A pillars of a vehicle body. Interacting with the support beam is an active arrangement for implementing a vibration damping. The active arrangement includes a gyroscopic oscillator unit which is arranged in an attachment zone of the steering column to the support beam and has an electric motor provided with at least one eccentric mass and constructed for spatial positioning within the gyroscopic oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Benteler Automobiltechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Jochem Fischer
  • Patent number: 7172242
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle (1) provided with a roof (2) comprising at least one part (3) thereof which is fully movable for the opening thereof and extends from an area adjacent to a wind screen frame (4) to the rear particularly rigid part (5) of the roof transversely covering the entire width between the upper edges of the side windows (7) of said motor vehicle. The inventive motor vehicle is characterised in that the movable part (3) of the roof can be arranged in the fully opened position thereof above the rear rigid part (5) of the roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
    Inventor: Udo Heselhaus
  • Patent number: 7172243
    Abstract: A seat includes: a seat body having a bottom surface and front and rear ends, the bottom surface being formed with a retaining member disposed adjacent to the front end; and a pair of opposing supporting members secured to the bottom surface. Each of the supporting members includes a front end portion extending into the retaining recess unit, an intermediate portion generally round in shape and extending from the front end portion toward the rear end of the seat body, a bent portion bent from the intermediate portion and having a cross-section varied from a generally round shape to a flat shape, and a rear end portion extending from the bent portion and generally flat in shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Cionlli Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ching-Song Lee
  • Patent number: 7172244
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly that includes a seat cushion having at least one recess disposed thereon. The vehicle seat assembly also has a plurality of sensor assemblies, each including a base and an upper slide member. The upper slide member is supported for movement toward and away from the base in response to a condition of the seat cushion. Additionally, the vehicle seat assembly includes at least one seat cushion insert disposed within the recess of the seat cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Asad Ali, Oliver Young
  • Patent number: 7172245
    Abstract: A removable seats system includes a number of vertically movable platforms supported by a platform support and displacement device which engages the platforms and which positions the platforms in a horizontally successively spaced configuration defining a gap between each two successive platforms having selective independent vertical displacement of the platforms. The removable seats system further includes a number of seat elements each associated with a corresponding platform and each including: a row of seats including at least one seat; and a seat supporting structure carried by a platform and supporting the row of seats. Each one of the seat members is movable relative to its corresponding platform between an operative position in which the row of seats is located above its corresponding platform, and a concealed position in which the row of seats is located under a platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Gestion Laforest Inc.
    Inventors: Paul-Andre Bouchard, Pierre Laforest, Pierre Gagnon
  • Patent number: 7172246
    Abstract: A bordering edge of cover members 2b/2c and a bordering edge of cover members 2d/2e of a sitting portion cover 2 of a seat cover 1 are folded back in a longitudinal direction along raised portions A1 of a sitting portion Aa, creased, and attached to the rest of the members while being smoothly curved in conformance to the raised portions, thus to form a three-dimensional curved shape conforming to a top surface of the sitting portion Aa. A bordering edge of cover members 3b/3c and a bordering edge of cover members 3d/3e of a backrest cover 3 are folded back in a longitudinal direction along raised portions A2 of a backrest portion Ab, creased, and attached to the rest of the members while being smoothly curved in conformance to the raised portions, thus to form a three-dimensional curved shape conforming to a front surface of the backrest Ab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Itakura
  • Patent number: 7172247
    Abstract: A motor vehicle seat system, control arrangement, actuating arrangement, and process are used to control a lumbar support device of a motor vehicle seat. The lumbar adjustment device has a first drive for adjustment in a first adjustment direction and a second drive for adjustment in a second adjustment direction. The adjustment directions differ from each other. A first adjustment position is ascertained in the first adjustment direction and the drive movement of the second drive is controlled as a function of at least one of the first adjustment position and the temporal change in the first adjustment position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co KG, Coburg
    Inventors: Klaus Beloch, Alexander Woller, Ingo Carl, Michael Forkel
  • Patent number: 7172248
    Abstract: An ergonomic support system for a seat has a resilient seat suspension platform with a pair of side margins and a plurality of transverse wires. Ergonomic supports are mounted on the seat adjacent to and/or within the side margins. A bracket has a slot extends along the bracket. One end of a support arm is attached to the ergonomic support and the other end connects the ergonomic support to the bracket through a slide clip. The slide clip is seated in the slot and provides a sliding engagement between the support arm and the bracket. A mounting clip engages the support arm at a region intermediate between the ends of the support arm. A spring can be operatively connected between the bracket end and the ergonomic support, and a hinge arm may also connect the ergonomic support to the bracket through the mounting clip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Schukra of Norht America Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert J. McMillen, Renato Colja, Asad Sami, Bogdan Rencz, George Kukuruzovic
  • Patent number: 7172249
    Abstract: A motor vehicle seat. The seat has a seat frame; a seat back pivotally mounted on the seat frame and which can be tilted forward out of its position of use and toward a seat surface of the seat frame; a longitudinal guide with which the seat frame is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the seat in order to adjust the longitudinal position of the seat; a fixing device for fixing the seat frame in a previously adjusted longitudinal position of the seat, an actuating element for releasing the fixing device thereby enabling the seat frame to be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the seat, a coupling mechanism, which acts upon the actuating element and releases the fixing device when the seat back is tilted forward toward the seat surface, and a memory device by means of which the seat frame can be automatically held in a preset longitudinal position of the seat, which is defined as a memory position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG Coburg
    Inventors: Peter Rausch, Christina Schwerdtner, Wolfgang Suck, Andrea Bauersachs, Reinhard Escher, Werner Tsubmann
  • Patent number: 7172250
    Abstract: An adjustable chassis for a chair includes a base member, a support member, and two support levers. Thus, the drive lever of the base member is drawn and moved by the first wire so as adjust the height of the chair seat relative to the adjustable chassis. In addition, the locking plate of the base member is drawn and moved by the second wire so as adjust the inclined angle of the chair backrest relative to the adjustable chassis. Further, the locking block is drawn and moved by the third wire so as adjust the position of the chair seat relative to the adjustable chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Inventor: Yao-Chuan Wu
  • Patent number: 7172251
    Abstract: A lifter for adjusting the height of a frame 10, 12, 14 that is to be vertically movably mounted on a vehicle floor is integrally formed with a suspension unit S for absorbing vibration inputted to the frame 10, 12, 14. The suspension unit S includes a magnet unit or a magnetic fluid damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhide Takata, Yutaka Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 7172252
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a motor vehicle rear seat with a seat part (2), having an upper side (4), and a seat back (6), having a rear side (12), which faces a clearance behind said motor vehicle rear seat. Said seat back (6) has at least one seat back section (8). According to the invention, said seat back section (8) is designed, such that it can be pivoted from a normal position to a first position, in which the rear side (12) of the seat back section (8) is oriented upwards and, with the upwards-oriented rear side (12), to a second position in the clearance behind the motor vehicle rear seat, such that the upper side (4) of the seat part (2) and the rear side (12) of the seat back section (8) form a loading area. Preferably, a loading plate (18), hinged on said seat back section (8), can be pivoted onto the upper side (4) of the seat part (2) in the second position of the seat back section (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Intier Automotive Seating Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Werner Ingmar Henning
  • Patent number: 7172253
    Abstract: Vehicle seat includes seat frame, an articulated backrest frame lockable by an angle adjuster adjustable between an upright basic position, a partially forwardly-folded easy-entry position, and a completely forwardly folded cargo position. A release shaft is pivotable by a release lever to release the angle adjuster. The backrest frame can only be moved out of the basic position into the cargo position by being folded forward into the easy-entry position, locked by resetting the release lever, then unlocked by actuating the release lever and folded forward into cargo position. An easy-entry mechanism includes the following: control cams on the backrest frame with an easy-entry stop, a locking hook articulated to the seat frame to engage the easy-entry stop, and a pushrod eccentrically articulated to the release shaft that, when the backrest is folded forward, is initially in an inactive position, and then releases the locking hook in an active position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Michael Haverkamp
  • Patent number: 7172254
    Abstract: A retractable headrest is movable between an extended position for protecting a passenger and a retracted position for improving rearward visibility. In a first embodiment, the headrest is positioned below a stretchable fabric panel which allows a headrest shell to be raised into the extended position by stretching the panel. A second embodiment incorporates an extending cushion that can be moved between the extended and retracted positions by an extending arm. A third embodiment incorporates a support frame that can be folded or bowed by a drive mechanism to move between the retracted and extended positions. A fourth embodiment is a hybrid between the second and third embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Designworks/USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Jurgen Steinle, James T. Davis, II, Scott P. McManigal, Felix Nagelin, John W. Krieger, David J. Shumate, Randall C. Lewis
  • Patent number: 7172255
    Abstract: Vehicle seat includes a seat portion and a backrest having a height-adjustable headrest. To facilitate the height adjustment of the headrest, two retaining rods are fit into nonreclining sleeves, and have spaced apart arresting notches on a lower portion of the retaining rods. The headrest can be set at any height by use of a locking mechanism on the upper surface of the backrest. The locking mechanism includes a base nonrotably secured to the backrest that includes a base portion and a spaced apart covering portion. The base portion and covering portion are connected via a central pillar to form one piece. The locking mechanism includes a spring with an arresting arm and a retaining arm configured to be mated with respective walls of the column, and biased by a bulge on the column. A cover ring having engaging elements engages the base, and may have spaced apart engaging fingers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Jürgen Wanke
  • Patent number: 7172256
    Abstract: A cutting pick includes an elongate shank, a cutting tip fixed to one end of the shank to project from that end and which is of a material that is harder than the material of the shank, and an annular sleeve which is attached about the shank adjacent the cutting tip. The sleeve is of a material (e.g., tungsten carbide) which is harder than the material of the shank and which has a lower propensity for incendive spark production during a cutting operation than the material of the shank. The sleeve includes a plurality of annular sleeve portions which are attached about the shank immediately adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Sandvik Intellectual Property AB
    Inventors: Keith Sleep, Steven Weaver
  • Patent number: 7172257
    Abstract: A crawler track tension adjusting device is provided in which a driving unit having a closed structure carries out automatic tension adjustment in response to a control signal to create optimum tension on a crawler belt. The crawler track tension adjusting device includes a tension adjusting cylinder which is operable to control the tension and is actuated by a hydraulic pump that is driven by a motor. An electromagnetic direction selector valve is disposed in an oil pipeline for connecting the hydraulic pump to the tension adjusting cylinder, and a hydraulic sensor for detecting the operating condition of the tension adjusting cylinder is disposed in the hydraulic circuit in which the tension adjusting cylinder, the hydraulic pump and the selector valve are provided. The hydraulic sensor is connected to a controller to operate the hydraulic pump and the direction selector valve so as to control the tension adjusting cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Masatake Tamaru, Teiji Yamamoto, Shigeru Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7172258
    Abstract: A fastening arrangement is for fastening a partitioning wall between two support walls in a drawer. A pair of elongated blades punched the partitioning wall at ends thereof are slideably engageable in retaining channels provided by connecting elements projecting from the support walls. The retaining channels have opposite side locking lips forming guiding slots for passage of a section of the partitioning wall extending between the connecting elements. The blades of the partitioning wall respectively press-fit against inner sides of the channels behind the locking lips when the partitioning wall is in the operative position. Lower support elements projecting from the support walls have guiding slots in which the ends of the partitioning wall are slideably engageable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Rousseau Metal Inc.
    Inventors: Serge Bisson, Marc Laurendeau
  • Patent number: 7172259
    Abstract: A device for detecting the presence or absence of a liquid, which is installed on an ink-jet recording apparatus, is configured to determine the presence or absence of ink in the ink flow path by detecting the reflection of light from a light transmission portion by irradiating light thereon. The light transmission portion is formed on at least a part of the ink path wall that forms the ink flow path for supplying ink to the recording head. As a result, it becomes possible for responding to consumer demands of designing a smaller version of the ink tank, a cost effective production thereof, and the like in addition to provide images with excellent image qualities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshio Uchikata
  • Patent number: 7172260
    Abstract: A printing system has a recording head, an ink cartridge and a computer. The recording head has a nozzle. The ink cartridge sprays the ink from the nozzle to a paper in accordance with a printing procedure. The computer detects the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge. The computer detects whether the remaining amount of ink is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value. The computer calculates usage required for the printing procedure of the ink when the remaining amount is determined to be less than or equal to the reference value. The computer compares the detected remaining amount of the ink when the remaining amount of ink is determined to be less than or equal to the reference value with the calculated usage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Yoshida, Masaru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7172261
    Abstract: A printer includes an ink jet head, a recovery unit, a moving unit, a conveying unit and a cover. The ink jet head performs printing on a printing medium and has an ink ejection port on an ejection port forming surface. The recovery unit is used for a recovery process for maintaining an ink ejection state of the ink jet head in a good condition. The recovery unit includes a cap for covering the ejection port forming surface, a wiping member for wiping the ejection port forming surface, and an absorbing member for receiving ink ejected from the ejection port of the ink jet head. The moving unit moves the recovery unit to a position where the recovery unit faces the ink jet head and to a position where the recovery unit does not face the ink jet head, the ejection forming surface of which is oriented toward the printing medium. The conveying unit conveys the printing medium to be printed by the ink jet head. The cover contains the ink jet head and the recovery unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Fujimoto, Katsumi Sugiyama, Masataka Naito, Masatoshi Ikkatai, Tsutomu Harada, Tatsuya Fukushima, Takefumi Tamura, Tsuyoshi Mikoshiba
  • Patent number: 7172262
    Abstract: To provide a capping unit, a capping method, and a droplet dispense unit capable of a liquid-filling operation to an inkjet head and recovery operation of the inkjet head in imperfect dispense condition without useless discharge of liquid dispensed by an inkjet system. A capping unit to cover a dispense head with a covering device, the dispense head including cavities to store liquid, nozzles communicating with the cavities, and a dispense device to dispense the liquid stored in the cavities through the nozzles. The covering device is equipped with a first cover including a gas-permeable member having high gas permeability and a second cover including a wetting member to keep the vicinity of the nozzles in a wet condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Sugimura, Fumio Takagi
  • Patent number: 7172263
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus comprises: a line type recording head which is arranged so that a longitudinal direction thereof is substantially orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a recording medium; a suction pipe which is disposed in parallel with the recording head and connected to a suctioning device; a rotating body which is supported rotatably on an outer circumference of the suction pipe and has a first opening section and a second opening section; a platen which is arranged in the first opening section of the rotating body movably in parallel with the conveyance direction of the recording medium; and a cap member which is arranged in the second opening section of the rotating body and adapted to cap nozzles of the recording head, wherein the recording medium is suctioned onto the platen and parallelly moved along a conveyance path in a state where the first opening section of the rotating body is connected to the suction pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Takatsuka, Hiroshi Inoue, Toshiya Kojima, Yasuhiko Kachi
  • Patent number: 7172264
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head is provided with one heat generating member in each of ink flow paths, and the discharge port thereof is arranged on the extended line extending in the normal direction from the center of the main surface of the heat generating member to the surface of the substrate. Then, on the surface of the substrate, non-bubbling area is provided on the center within the projected area having the discharge port projected thereon. Bubble brought to the boil by the heat generating member pushes out ink from the discharge port by the pressure exerted by the bubble, while being communicated with the outside. With the structure thus arranged, it is made possible to enhance the precision of discharge direction of the liquid droplet discharged from the discharge port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mineo Kaneko, Ken Tsuchii, Keiichiro Tsukuda, Masaki Oikawa, Kenji Yabe
  • Patent number: 7172265
    Abstract: A print assembly for a wide format printer includes a housing. An elongate chassis is positioned in the housing and is mountable on a support structure to be positioned above a substrate. A platen assembly is mounted on the chassis and is configured to extend substantially along a length of the chassis. A feed mechanism is mounted on the chassis to feed wide format print media along the feed path. An elongate carrier is mounted on the chassis to extend substantially along the length of the chassis. A plurality of printhead modules is mounted on the carrier. Each printhead module includes an ink distribution assembly and an elongate printhead integrated circuit mounted on the ink distribution assembly. The printhead modules are configured so that the printhead integrated circuits span the platen. A number of control circuitry units is mounted on the chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Tobin Allen King, Simon Robert Walmsley
  • Patent number: 7172266
    Abstract: A printhead assembly for a pagewidth ink jet printer includes an ink storage assembly that defines at least one ink storage chamber. An elongate mounting member is mounted on the ink storage assembly to be in fluid communication with the, or each, ink storage chamber. At least one printhead module is mounted on the mounting member and has a carrier that defines a recess and a printhead chip received in the recess. The recess is in fluid communication with the mounting member so that ink from the, or each, ink storage chamber can be fed to the printhead chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Roger Mervyn Lloyd Foote, Tobin Allen King, Garry Raymond Jackson, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7172267
    Abstract: The ink jet recording method and apparatus apply an electrostatic force to ink including one or more charged fine particle components, eject ink droplets from ejection ports of ejection portions of an ink jet head, form at least one dot at an ejection frequency f on a recording medium and record an image thereon. The method and apparatus set an application time period of a drive voltage for ejecting the ink droplets upon ejection restart after ejection stop to a time period of 1/f or longer for at least one ejection portion, and apply the drive voltage to at least one ejection electrode of the ejection portions for the time period of 1/f or longer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Furukawa
  • Patent number: 7172268
    Abstract: An ink jet head base body in which a heat accumulation layer, a heater generating heat energy used for discharging ink, and a protection film protecting the heater are sequentially formed on a substrate. The ink jet head base body is characterized in that a total thickness of a portion above from the heater in the protection film ranges from 0.2 ?m to 0.6 ?m, a heat resistance value of the portion above from the heater in the protection film ranges from 5×10?9 m2·K/W to 50×10?9 m2·K/W, and the heat resistance value of a portion below from the heater in the heat accumulation layer is not lower than double the heat resistance value of the portion above from the heater in the protection film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaki Oikawa
  • Patent number: 7172269
    Abstract: A heating device within an integrated circuit includes a first conductive lead, a second conductive lead and a third conductive lead. A first resistive region is connected between the first conductive lead and the third conductive lead. A second resistive region is connected between the second conductive lead and the third conductive lead. A side formed by the first conductive lead and the first resistive region is parallel to a side formed by the second conductive lead and the second resistive region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Avago Technologies Fiber IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Tyler Sims
  • Patent number: 7172270
    Abstract: There is disclosed an ink jet printhead that has a plurality of nozzles unit cells 1 and one or more heater elements 10 corresponding to each nozzle 3. Each heater element 10 is configured to heat a bubble forming liquid 11 in the printhead to a temperature above its boiling point to form a gas bubble 12 therein. The generation of the bubble 12 causes the ejection of a drop 16 of an ejectable liquid (such as ink) through an ejection aperture 5 in each nozzle 3, to effect printing. The gas bubble encircles at least some of the heater element. By configuring the heater element such that the bubbles formed surround the element, the heat transfer to the bubble forming liquid is maximized. Less heat is wasted through conduction to the surrounding nozzle structures thereby raising the overall efficiency of the printhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Kia Silverbrook, Angus John North, Gregory John McAvoy
  • Patent number: 7172271
    Abstract: An ink-jet print head has a piezoelectric ceramic plate having grooves for receiving ink, a nozzle plate connected to the piezoelectric ceramic plate and having nozzle apertures each disposed in communication with respective ones of the grooves, and an ink storing device for storing ink. An ink chamber plate is connected to the piezoelectric ceramic plate and has an ink chamber for supplying ink from the ink storing device to the grooves. A base plate is connected to a side of the ink chamber plate and has an ink reservoir defining a portion of an ink flow path for transporting ink from the ink storing device to the ink chamber of the ink chamber plate. The ink reservoir has at least one tapered portion progressively diverging in a direction toward the ink chamber of the ink chamber plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: SII Printek Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Tominaga, Osamu Koseki, Masaki Denda, Tomiharu Makishima, Yasuhito Sekiya, Jun Tsuneyoshi, Yuuji Nakamura, Kentarou Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7172272
    Abstract: A fluid ejection container system provides a first container that contains the fluid, the first container being evacuated to negative gauge pressure when being filled with the fluid, a second container having a capillary medium that contains the fluid, a passage between the first and second containers communicating the fluid at a level wherein the passage is wetted with the fluid, a ventilation port to communicate air between an interior region in the fluid ejection system and ambient, at least one spill over region to communicate the fluid with the second container, and a plurality of channels to communicate at least the air between the interior region and the second container; wherein the at least one spill over region has sufficient volume to contain a quantity of the fluid that migrates out of the second container. The fluid ejection container system also provides a lid for sealing the first and second containers from the ambient, wherein the channels are disposed on the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takatoshi Tsuchiya, Eric A. Merz, Kazuyuki Oda, Brian S. Hilton
  • Patent number: 7172273
    Abstract: An ink tank in which an air communication passage and a pressure regulator valve passage are formed by covering grooves, etc., with a film is fabricated in a simple manufacturing process. Specifically, an atmosphere communication hole and a major part of an air communication passage are formed in the same surface on which a film for forming a valve passage is attached. By virtue of this, the process of attaching a major part of the air communication passage film and the process of attaching the valve film can be performed in a single process step. This simplifies the process of attaching the films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ujita, Keisuke Matsuo, Kenji Kitabatake, Hiromasa Amma
  • Patent number: 7172274
    Abstract: A process for forming a chain extended thermoplastic polymer which includes reacting: (i) a prepolymer having one or more guanidinium or biguanidinium units and having at least one reactive end group; and (ii) a chain extender having at least two groups able to react with reactive end group(s) in (i). The polymer used as fixing agent to reduce highlighter smear of prints prepared by ink jet printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Imaging Colorants Limited
    Inventors: Denise Hall, Stephen George Yeates, Tom Annable
  • Patent number: 7172275
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ink set for ink jet recording comprising: an ink which contains: water; a colorant; a water-soluble organic solvent; polyvalent metal ions; and compound (A) which is intrinsically capable of substantially inactivating the polyvalent metal ions, and a liquid composition is of a pH in which the polyvalent metal ions in the ink can be substantially activated. The pH of the ink is within a range in which compound (A) keeps the polyvalent metal ions substantially in an inactive state. The invention also provides an ink jet recording method which uses such an ink set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eisuke Hiraoka, Toshitake Yui, Ken Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7172276
    Abstract: An ink composition includes a colorant, a polymer latex such as a terpolymer latex, an optional dissipatable polymer, a dispersant such as a sulfonated polyester, and a liquid vehicle such as water. The ink composition is a stable liquid at ambient temperature, but becomes a gel upon heating or removal of part of the liquid vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Marcel P. Breton, Christy E. Bedford, Guerino G. Sacripante
  • Patent number: 7172277
    Abstract: A transfer pressure roll is characterized in that a cylindrical roll body and an elastic layer which coats the surface of the roll body and comes into contact with an image protection film at the pressurizing time are included, and the hardness of an elastic matter forming the elastic layer is HA 40 degrees or more by a measuring method specified by JIS-K6253.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Mizutani, Hiroyuki Onishi
  • Patent number: 7172278
    Abstract: The present invention is a near-sighted lens of a wide-vision diving mirror, wherein contracted latching pieces at the upper, lower, and inner sides of a front lens of a wide-vision diving mirror are latched into the latching slots of lens frames of a mask; two assembling sections are formed by cutting the other side of the front lens, and one side of the side lens, respectively. As there is no frame edge interfering with the vision in combing the front and side lens into a mirror via their assembling sections, a wide-vision and replaceable near-sighted diving mirror can be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Inventor: Li-Jen Feng