Patents Issued in May 20, 2008
  • Patent number: 7374242
    Abstract: A vehicle latch assembly including a stanchion support and a pivotally secured seat supporting bracket. A batwing shape sector is slaved to rotate with the bracket between the bracket and stanchion support. A sector bottom surface is interrupted by a shoulder projection and an arcuate interior channel is offset from a slaved rotating connection of the sector to the bracket. A pin extends through another channel defined in the stanchion and seats within the sector channel to bias the sector during travel along the interior channel. A pendulum is secured in sandwiching fashion between the bracket and stanchion and includes an upper edge configuration proximate a selected location of the bottom surface of the rotatable sector, depending upon a rotatable position established between the first seat component and a second seat component. The pendulum responds to an inertial impact condition by engaging the shoulder projection to prevent rotation of the first seat component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: BAE Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: William Champ, David Grable
  • Patent number: 7374243
    Abstract: A folding seat apparatus for a vehicle comprising a slide mechanism for slidably moving a seat in a front-and-rear direction, and a pop-up mechanism for popping up a seat cushion. The slide mechanism and pop-up mechanism are connected to the control lever. The controller controls the actuator so that the control lever rotates in the forward or reverse direction. The pop-up mechanism is unlocked by rotating the control lever in a first direction, and the slide mechanism is unlocked by rotating the control lever in a second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kayumi, Hirohide Suda, Koji Hashimoto, Takamitsu Suzuki, Daijiro Wada
  • Patent number: 7374244
    Abstract: A vehicle seat has a seat part, a seat back and an underframe. The seat part is connected to the underframe by a front guide member. The seat back is hinged to the underframe by a seat back hinge. A stop device comprising a release lever is associated with the seat back hinge. There is provided a connecting rod that is hinged to the seat part by a front connecting rod joint and to the seat back by a rear connecting rod joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: C. Rob. Hammerstein GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Burckhard Becker, Wilfried Beneker
  • Patent number: 7374245
    Abstract: A vehicular seat has a seat cushion supported on a floor portion of a vehicle body panel, a seat back divided into a seat back upper and a seat back lower and controlled to be reclined, a seat back upper frame supporting the seat back upper and fixed to a rear portion of the vehicle body panel, a seat back lower frame supporting the seat back lower and rotatably connected to the seat back upper frame, a seat cushion frame supporting the seat cushion and a driving unit fixed to the floor portion and connected to the seat cushion frame so as to activate the seat cushion frame to tilt upwards and forwards. The seat cushion frame and the seat back lower frame are rotatably connected to each other so that the seat back lower is displaced forwards as the seat cushion frame is activated to tilt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: NHK Spring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Tanaka, Kazuhito Kashima, Ritsuro Okano
  • Patent number: 7374246
    Abstract: The present invention is a cushion. The cushion has a seat cushion and a back cushion that are attached with an attachment element. The cushion is intended to provide comfort to a patron using a stadium seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Integrated Stadium Seating
    Inventor: Troy Jones
  • Patent number: 7374247
    Abstract: An apparatus including an elongate post having a first end and a second end; a clamp coupled to the first end of the post, the clamp including a dimension suitable to couple to a seat frame of a chair; a leg support frame including a first portion pivotally coupled to the second end of the post and a second portion; and a leg support coupled to the second portion of the leg support frame. A method including coupling a leg support assembly to a chair, the leg support assembly including a leg support frame, wherein in a coupled configuration with a chair on a surface, coupling includes coupling such that a first portion of the leg support frame is in contact with the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Inventors: Kerry L. Welsh, Nigel Miller
  • Patent number: 7374248
    Abstract: A rim covering device for inhibiting contact of a tire cleaning spray with a rim when a tire is being cleaned includes a cover being positionable over a rim to inhibit a tire cleaning spray from being sprayed on the rim. An absorbent band is coupled to the cover. The absorbent band absorbs the tire cleaning spray that is over sprayed onto the cover. A handle is coupled to the cover opposite the forward edge. The handle is gripped to facilitate maneuvering of the cover over the rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Inventor: Anthony J. Clayton
  • Patent number: 7374249
    Abstract: The device, a wheel cover assembly, covers at least a portion of a wheel. The wheel cover assembly is secured to the wheel by a lug nut having a flange. The wheel cover assembly has a wheel cover which has an inner surface and an outer surface. The wheel cover assembly also has a plurality of lug wells. Each lug well includes a plurality of extensions extending from the inner surface of the wheel cover to the distal end of the lug well. The extensions have an engagement leg at the distal end of the lug well. Additionally, at least one of the engagement legs is non-axisymmetrical with respect to the remaining engagement legs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Paul Willmer
  • Patent number: 7374250
    Abstract: A rim for mounting tubeless tires, particularly for bicycles, motorcycles and mopeds, constituted by a profiled element which is curved in a circular fashion and is symmetrical with respect to a centerline plane (P), said profiled element forming an outer annular seat (2) and an inner annular seat which are divided by an annular partition provided with slots arranged opposite the nipples (6) associated with the spokes of said rim, a tire of the tubeless type being associated with said outer annular seat so as to form a pressure chamber. The rim comprises closure elements that engage said slots in order to hermetically separate said outer annular seat from said inner annular seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Alpina Raggi S.p.A.
    Inventor: Moreno Fioravanti
  • Patent number: 7374251
    Abstract: A bicycle hub has an axle and a hub shell rotatably disposed about the axle with a plurality of spoke fixing parts disposed at opposite ends of the hub shell. Each of the spoke fixing parts has a through hole having a small width section extending from a first side of a corresponding one of the spoke fixing parts and a large width section extending from a second side of the corresponding one of the spoke fixing parts such that an internal abutment is formed between the small and large width sections. The securing elements are removably disposed in the large width sections of the spoke fixing parts of the hub shell with each of the securing elements having a threaded bore that is aligned with and substantially equal to the small width sections of the spoke fixing parts of the hub shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Shinpei Okajima, Kazuki Koshiyama, Tsutomu Muraoka
  • Patent number: 7374252
    Abstract: A wheel slip assurance module comprises a device for disabling the wheel slip valve, a timing reservoir in communication with the disabling device, and a check valve and choke circuit providing parallel connections between the output of the wheel slip valve and the timing reservoir having a first connection path comprising a check valve and charging choke and a second connection path comprising a dissipating choke such that flow from the output of the wheel slip valve passes through the check valve and charging choke to charge the reservoir when the brake cylinders are pressurized and opposite flow passes through the dissipating choke allowing the reservoir to discharge when the brake cylinders are exhausted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Wabtec Holding Corporation
    Inventors: David E. Schweikert, Robert N. Scharpf, James A. Wood
  • Patent number: 7374253
    Abstract: The invention discloses a method for determining the air content of the brake fluid in a hydraulic braking system. This method also permits determining the quality of the bleeding of the braking system. The principle of the method is a comparison of the volume intake with the respectively achieved pressure. The correlation is compared to nominal values. As the volume intake is determined by the clearance, the system is set by means of a pre-actuation to an initial condition before each actual measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Gunther Buschmann, Martin Baechle, Axel Wagner, Michael Hitzel
  • Patent number: 7374254
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electric brake system having a piston moveable by an electric motor is provided. The method includes the steps of storing data for correlating a position of the piston to a braking force applied by the piston, estimating a braking force associated with a specific position of the piston based upon the stored data, generating a control signal based upon the estimated braking force, determining a second braking force associated with the specific position and updating the stored data based upon a difference between the estimated braking force and the second braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jon T. Zumberge
  • Patent number: 7374255
    Abstract: A control method for a four-wheel drive vehicle such that the control is changed in braking the vehicle, includes the steps of detecting an ON/OFF status of a braking operation, detecting an accelerator opening or throttle opening greater than or equal to a predetermined value and setting the status of the braking operation to be OFF, for purposes of the control method, when the detected acceleration opening or throttle opening is greater than or equal to the predetermined value simultaneously with a detection of the status of the braking operation to be ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Mori
  • Patent number: 7374256
    Abstract: An agricultural vehicle is disclosed having ancillary equipment that may be raised and lowered relative to the ground with consequential changing of the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle and having a hydraulic braking system comprising a master cylinder and a slave cylinder. The braking system further includes a pressure relief valve for limiting the hydraulic pressure applied to the slave cylinder only when the vehicle is in road mode. This ensures that the braking force does not exceed a safe limit below which the vehicle does not risk toppling forwards when braking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: CNH America LLC
    Inventors: Jean-Pierre Vandendriessche, Stephan P. G. Deneir, Tom A De Lathauwer, Willy F Rogiers
  • Patent number: 7374257
    Abstract: A track-type work machine is provided, including a roller frame and a track extending about the roller frame. A track roller is mounted along the roller frame and rotatable against the track. The track roller is rotatably supported by a bearing that includes a shaft extending in the track roller and at least one sleeve rotatable about the shaft. At least one of the sleeve and the track roller include a load transmitting crown. A method is further provided of reducing edge loading of a track roller bearing, by transmitting selected loads on the bearing toward a center thereof at least in part by crowning a rotatable sleeve of the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas E. Oertley
  • Patent number: 7374258
    Abstract: An automated kiosk has (a) a cabinet; (b) a face frame releasably securable to the cabinet; (c) a plurality of cross members secured to the face frame; and (d) a plurality of hardware components releasably secured to the cross members. The hardware components may be sized and configured such that they project substantially directly inward into the cabinet when the face frame is secured to the cabinet. A method of modifying a kiosk of the invention, comprises (a) removing a hardware component or a faceplate from the kiosk; (b) repositioning a cross member on the kiosk; and (c) installing a new hardware component on the kiosk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Inventor: Julian Bowron
  • Patent number: 7374259
    Abstract: A detachable case assembly is disclosed to include a case body, which has front and rear angled slots, a partition plate, which separates the case body into a front and a rear holding space, a front cover, which covers the front half of the top side of the case body and which has locating rods for engaging into the front angled slots of the case body and a rear edge supported on the protruded bearing portions of the partition plate, and a rear cover, which covers the rear half of the top side of the case body and which has locating rods for engaging into the rear angled slots of the case body, a front flange supported on the partition plate and spaced below the rear edge of the front cover, raised contact portions maintained in close contact with the rear edge of the front cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Tatung Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chia-Kang Wu, Yu-Jen Liang, Fu-Jung Hsui
  • Patent number: 7374260
    Abstract: A hidden type sliding rail assembly auto locking structure for drawer is disclosed comprised of a holder base, a slide, a coil spring member, a hook, a steel spring strip, a locking block, and an actuating block. When the outer sliding rail is moved outwards with the drawer, the actuating block pushes the steel spring strip to force the hook against the slide and to further force the locking block into a side notch and stopped at a stop edge at the holder base to prevent disconnection of the locking block, for enabling the coil spring member to return the drawer to the close position. Except the coil spring member, the holder base holds the other parts on the inside and keeps them from sight without the use of a cover, thereby saving much installation labor and time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Gslide Corporation
    Inventor: Chun-Min Lu
  • Patent number: 7374261
    Abstract: A push-open type slide structure comprises a top fastener and a locking device between an outer slide rail and a pull rod. The loading plate is extended from one side of the center portion of the main body. Two pillars are extended from both sides of the main body. A positioning fastener is coupled with the loading plate. A hook is mounted on the inner edge of the loading plate. A guide pillar is mounted on the rear end of the loading plate. The hook is inserted into the action trench of the main body and coupled with the elastic device. The locking device has a connection part for coupling with a guide part and a shaft holder. The push-open type slide structure is lockable or unlockable by pivotal rotation between the loading plate and the locking device. As a result, the push-open type slide structure can be controlled easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Dynaslide Corporation
    Inventor: Chun-Ping Wang
  • Patent number: 7374262
    Abstract: The main object of the present invention is to form an even pattern. In order to achieve the object, in the present invention, patterns P1 to P6 formed on a substrate 400 are formed by liquid droplets discharged from a piezoelectric driving type head unit 300. The size of each liquid droplet discharged from each orifice 300-1 to 300-n differs depending on the mechanical and electric characteristics. The liquid droplets discharged form each orifice 300-1 to 300-n are thinned out so as to have the liquid droplet amount per unit area to be impacted on each pattern p1 to P6 equally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Yamamoto, Masashi Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 7374263
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a nozzle formation face with a nozzle; a pressure chamber communicated with the nozzle; and a pressure generator changing pressure in the chamber so as to eject liquid from the nozzle. An adjuster adjusts a distance between the nozzle formation face and the target medium so as to be at least a first distance, and a second distance that is longer than the first distance. A driving signal generator generates a driving signal that includes a first pulse having at least a first expansion element and a first ejecting element, and a second pulse having at least a second expansion element and a second ejecting element. A pulse supplier selectively supplies a pulse to the pressure generator. The pulse supplier selects the first pulse when the distance is the first distance, and selects the second pulse when the distance is the second distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Satoru Hosono
  • Patent number: 7374264
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a patterned substrate includes the steps of: ejecting ink to a plurality of ink ejection portions arranged in a row by using a head having a plurality of ink ejecting means corresponding to the plurality of ink ejection portions; and drying the ejected ink. In the ink ejection step, ink is ejected so that a solid content weight of the ink in each ink ejection portion is different between an inner part and an end part of the plurality of ink ejection portions arranged in a row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Okano
  • Patent number: 7374265
    Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method are provided which, when printing small ink droplets at high resolution, can make white lines caused by an “end dot deflection” less visually conspicuous. To that end, an ink jet print head used has a plurality of nozzle substrates arranged that an overlapping region in which the printable areas of respective nozzle substrates partly overlap is formed. According to a print density to be achieved, each of the nozzles corresponding to the overlapping region is controlled for ejection/non-ejection of ink. With this method, it is possible to print as many dots as most match the intensity of the “end dot deflection” phenomenon that varies according to the print density. This enables a blank line to be filled with an appropriate number of dots at all times, regardless of the width of the blank line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Yamane, Yasuyuki Tamura
  • Patent number: 7374266
    Abstract: A method of at least partially compensating for errors in ink dot placement by at least one of a plurality of nozzles due to erroneous rotational displacement of a printhead module relative to a carrier, the nozzles being disposed on the printhead module, the method comprising the steps of determining the rotational displacement; determining at least one correction factor that at least partially compensates for the ink dot displacement; and using the correction factor to alter the output of the ink dots to at least partially compensate for the rotational displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Simon Robert Walmsley, John Robert Sheahan, Mark Jackson Pulver, Michael John Webb, Richard Thomas Plunkett, Kia Silverbrook
  • Patent number: 7374267
    Abstract: In an inkjet printing apparatus, as positions where preliminary discharge is performed to cause a printhead to discharge ink irrespective of printing, first and second preliminary discharge performing positions are provided within the moving area of a carriage, and a position or a combination of positions where preliminary discharge is performed is set from the first and second preliminary discharge performing positions on the basis of the information of the size and position of a printing medium. This makes it possible to simplify control concerning the setting of preliminary discharge performing positions and reduce the load on the printing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naomi Oshio, Minoru Teshigawara, Kiichiro Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7374268
    Abstract: An ink jet recording method and apparatus for recording pictures, characters, etc. on both sides of a recording medium by ejecting a first ink and a second ink on the same side of the medium, wherein the first ink is ejected based on mirror data corresponding to a mirror image of the image to be recorded and the second ink is ejected based on data corresponding to the image to be recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tajika, Yuji Konno, Norihiro Kawatoko, Takayuki Ogasahara, Tetsuya Edamura, Atsuhiko Masuyama, Akiko Maru
  • Patent number: 7374269
    Abstract: A method of determining unidirectional print direction for optimal quality on an ink jet printer capable of bidirectional printing includes printing a first plurality of indicators on a recordable medium, wherein the first plurality of indicators are printed in a first direction; printing a second plurality of indicators on the recordable medium, wherein the second plurality of indicators are printed in a second direction opposite the first direction; and determining an optimum print direction from the printed indicators; and setting in the printer the optimum print direction for unidirectional printing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen T. Olson
  • Patent number: 7374270
    Abstract: A liquid droplet ejection apparatus performs a drawing operation on a workpiece set on a set table by driving the ejection of a functional liquid droplet ejection head in a head unit while moving the head unit in a main scanning direction relative to the set table. The liquid droplet ejection apparatus includes an ejection defect test unit for inspecting an ejection defect of the functional liquid droplet ejection head. The ejection defect test unit includes a drawn unit on which a predetermined test pattern is drawn by test ejection from the functional liquid droplet ejection head and ejection-defect determination means for determining the ejection defect by capturing an image of the test pattern drawn on the ejection-defect test unit and recognizing the image. The drawn unit is disposed on a scan moving axis offset from the set table towards the main scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Kojima
  • Patent number: 7374271
    Abstract: A cap capable of sealing a nozzle by two methods and a droplet discharge apparatus using the cap. When the cap is pressed onto a nozzle surface with the nozzle aligned with a center of a covering portion, a lip continuously contacts the surrounding of an opening of the nozzle, thereby forming a sealed space on the surface formed with the opening of the nozzle. Although ink in the nozzle may dry when left for a long time, no influence on ink discharge operation immediately after the cap is detached is expected since the cap does not directly seal the opening. When the cap is pressed onto the nozzle surface with the nozzle aligned with a center of a sealing portion, the substantially flat sealing portion seals the opening, thereby effectively preventing drying of ink, although there may be an influence on discharge operation immediately after the cap is detached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takaichiro Umeda
  • Patent number: 7374272
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes: a head member having a nozzle and a liquid-ejecting unit; a main controlling part that drives the liquid-ejecting unit based on ejecting data; a capping member relatively movable between a position away from the head member and a position in contact with the head member; a suction way communicated with an inside of the capping member; and a built-in slide-rotator type of positive displacement pump provided in the suction way. A state-quantity recognizing part recognizes a state quantity related to a dry state in an inside of the positive displacement pump. A judging part judges whether the inside of the positive displacement pump is dry, by comparing the state quantity with a standard state quantity. A preliminary-operation carrying-out part carries out a preliminary operation for wetting the inside of the positive displacement pump, when the inside of the positive displacement pump is dry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Seshimo, Mitsutaka Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 7374273
    Abstract: A droplet ejecting device includes an ejector that is adapted to eject a liquid stored in a pressure chamber from an ejecting nozzle, by applying pressure to the pressure chamber; an ejection timing detector that is adapted to detect a start timing at which a liquid column starts being ejected from the ejecting nozzle; a droplet separator that is adapted to give, to the liquid column, an energy that separates the liquid column from the liquid stored in the pressure chamber; and a controller that is adapted to control the droplet separator to give an energy at a timing when a predetermined time period has elapsed since the start timing detected by the ejection timing detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotsuna Miura
  • Patent number: 7374274
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to printing a pattern, such as an image or other indicia, onto a surface, and more specifically to printing a pattern onto a surface utilizing at least one microelectromechanical system (MEMS) actuator. The present invention in exemplary form makes use of Joule heating to actuate a beam that is capable of displacing ink from a chamber and onto a surface of a print medium. The invention includes methods for designing, fabricating, and operating a MEMS actuator in accordance with the teachings discussed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert W. Cornell
  • Patent number: 7374275
    Abstract: An ink jet head circuit board is provided which has heaters to generate thermal energy for ink ejection as they are energized. This circuit board has the heaters formed with high precision to reduce their areas. It also has provisions to protect the electrode wires against corrosion and prevent a progress of corrosion. The substrate is deposited with the thin first electrodes made of a corrosion resistant metal. This is further deposited with the resistor layer. The second electrodes made of aluminum are deposited to overlap the first electrodes to form the heater without causing large dimensional variations among the heaters. With this construction, if a defect should occur in a protective layer on or near the heater, a progress of corrosion can effectively be prevented because the material of the resistor layer is more resistant to encroachment than aluminum and the first electrodes are corrosion resistant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuaki Shibata, Kenji Ono, Teruo Ozaki, Satoshi Ibe, Ichiro Saito, Sakai Yokoyama, Toshiyasu Sakai
  • Patent number: 7374276
    Abstract: An inkjet printing head includes: a flow path unit having a plurality of pressure chambers arranged along a plane and connected to nozzles; and an actuator unit fixed on a surface of the flow path unit and changes volume of each of the pressure chambers, the actuator unit including: a plurality of individual electrodes arranged in positions opposite to the pressure chambers respectively; a common electrode disposed to extend over the plurality of pressure chambers and having openings each formed at least at a part of a region opposite to the individual electrodes; and a piezoelectric sheet sandwiched between the common electrode and the individual electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Taira, Ayumu Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7374277
    Abstract: An ink-jet head includes a passage unit, an actuator unit, a flexible cable, conductors, and spacers. The actuator unit has individual electrodes corresponding to respective pressure chambers of the passage unit. The flexible cable has wirings corresponding to the respective individual electrodes and is spaced apart from the actuator unit. The conductors are disposed between the actuator unit and the flexible cable so as to electrically connect the individual electrodes to the wirings, respectively. The spacers, which are not electrically connected to the individual electrodes and the wirings, are disposed between the actuator unit and the flexible cable so that each of the spacers is positioned in a region surrounded by three or more of the conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koji Nakayama
  • Patent number: 7374278
    Abstract: A water-based ink including a colored microparticle dispersion having water and a microparticle containing a resin and a colorant, wherein the microparticle has a core part and a shell part to form a core-shell structure and the core part and the shell part are cross-linked with a cross-linking agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Ando, Kazuyoshi Shioiri
  • Patent number: 7374279
    Abstract: A liquid jet head includes a nozzle element having nozzles from which a recording liquid is ejected to a recording medium, wherein the recording liquid contains fine particles of a pigment, wherein the fine particles of the pigment contained in the recording liquid are no less than 1% by weight, wherein each of the nozzles has an area that is less than 500 ?m2, wherein each of the fine particles of the pigment has a diameter satisfying a relation of 0.0005?Dp/Do?0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takuro Sekiya
  • Patent number: 7374280
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus comprises: an ink ejection device which ejects droplets of a radiation-curable ink onto a recording medium; a conveyance device which causes the ink ejection device and the recording medium to move relatively to each other in a relative movement direction by conveying at least one of the ink ejection device and the recording medium; a radiation irradiation device which irradiates radiation to the droplets deposited on the recording medium by the ink ejection device; a dot formation conditions determination device which determines a dot size of dots and a pitch between adjacent dots to be formed by the ejected droplets, according to print data; and a droplet ejection timing control device which sets an ejection interval between the droplets according to information relating to the dot size and the dot pitch determined by the dot formation conditions determination device, and controls an ejection timing of a subsequent droplet ejected subsequently in an overlapping fashion, in such a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 7374281
    Abstract: Disclosed is a recording apparatus that helps to achieve a reduction in size and cost. The recording apparatus has a U-turn sheet feeding mechanism for reversing and feeding a recording medium and a duplex transport mechanism for reversing the recording medium and performing printing on both sides thereof, in which the same transport path serves as a transport path for transporting the recording medium from a U-turn sheet feeding roller to a main transport roller for transporting the recording medium to a printing portion and as a transport path for reversal in duplex transport. Further, a transport roller provided in the transport path from the U-turn sheet feeding roller to the main transport roller for transporting the recording medium to the printing portion is the same as a transport roller for duplex transport. A single transport roller serves both as the U-turn transport roller and as the duplex transport roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Saito, Haruo Uchida, Nozomu Nishiberi, Koya Iwakura, Kentaro Onuma, Kenji Shigeno, Motoyuki Taguchi, Shinya Sonoda
  • Patent number: 7374282
    Abstract: A pair of sunglasses is provided with a polarized region in the upper portion of the eyeglass lens and a non-polarized region in the bottom portion of the eyeglass lens so as to permit reading of polarized instruments through the non-polarized region. The two regions may be separated horizontally at the halfway point or below the halfway point such that, by tilting one's head upwardly and looking through the non-polarized region, one can readily read the instruments which would appear black through the polarized region due to the cross-polarization. In one embodiment the polarization level is gradually decreased from the top to the bottom of the lens in a polarization gradient in which there is no polarization at the bottom portion of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Inventor: Robert K. Tendler
  • Patent number: 7374283
    Abstract: A lens system and optical devices that provide enhanced vision correction are disclosed. The lens system includes an electro-active layer that provides correction of at least one higher order aberration. The higher order correction changes dynamically based on a user of the lens system's needs, such as a change by the user's gaze distance, pupil size, or changes in tear film following blinking, among others. Optical devices are also described that use these and other lens systems to provide correction of higher order aberrations. An optical guide is also described that guides the user's line of sight to see through a lens region having a correction for a higher order aberration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: E-Vision, LLC
    Inventors: Ronald Blum, William Kokonaski, Dwight P. Duston
  • Patent number: 7374284
    Abstract: A spectacle system is disclosed for shifting the field expansion property of peripheral prisms from the upper and lower peripheral visual fields toward the central visual field of a person with peripheral field loss, and particularly hemianopia, while maintaining the lateral field expansion. In terms of perceived image, the spectacle system includes image-shifting devices that shift the perceived images from the central missing visual fields toward the upper and lower peripheral visual fields. The image-shifting devices are placed out of the central visual field and do not interfere with the normal central or foveal vision of the wearer. The spectacle system can be fitted onto one or both carrier lenses of a pair of spectacles and includes at least one image-shifting device. The image-shifting device includes a plurality of image-shifting elements. In one embodiment, the image-shifting device includes a plurality of image-shifting mirror elements that are arranged to form a Fresnel-like mirrors based prism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: The Schepens Eye Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventor: Eliezer Peli
  • Patent number: 7374285
    Abstract: A system and method for determining an eyeglass/contact lens power is provided, which can determine the power of an eyeglass/contact lens that is suitable for an individual. The eyeglass/contact lens power determination system (20) according to the present invention comprises inputting means (202) for entering information on the condition of a subject's eye, means (204) for determining an optical eyeball model corresponding to the information on the eye condition entered through the inputting means (202), and means (218) for selecting a lens power for verifying the focal power of an eyeglass/contact lens worn by the subject using the optical eyeball model determined by the optical eyeball model determining means to select a lens power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Vision Optic Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Toshima, Takehiko Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7374286
    Abstract: An ophthalmic apparatus and a method for calculating internal refractive power distribution of an eye of an examinee, which allow easily evaluating refractive power distribution of a crystalline lens, an intraocular lens and the like. The ophthalmic apparatus has a unit which inputs respective measurement data on corneal refractive power distribution and whole refractive power distribution of the eye, the respective distribution referring to a reference axis, and a unit which obtains the internal refractive power distribution of the eye referring to the reference axis based on the inputted respective measurement data, obtains a prism component in the internal refractive power distribution with respect to the reference axis, and obtains internal refractive power distribution of the eye where the prism component is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Nidek Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanao Fujieda, Yukinobu Ban
  • Patent number: 7374287
    Abstract: A number of additional embodiments and optical constructions of a relaxed confocal catadioptric scanning laser opthalmoscope (SLO) are disclosed. They improve the functionality of microperimetry (MP), and the integration of the existing instrument with the capabilities of high speed spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The improvements pertain to enhanced acousto-optic modulation with regard to rise-time and combination of wavelengths, enhanced control of illuminating beam characteristics and separation of illuminating and returned light within the SLO, enhanced electronic control and options for the galvanometer—polygon combination, additional use of a liquid crystal spatial light modulation, and the modalities under which SD-OCT can be integrated within the SLO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Inventor: Frans J. Van de Velde
  • Patent number: 7374288
    Abstract: An improved image projection lighting device is disclosed. Commands received by a communications port of the base housing may be acted upon to change zoom and focus values of a zoom and focus lens. A cooling system may be provided which compares an input air temperature of the image projection lighting device to an exiting air temperature to determine if a filter needs service. A video projector may project a first image comprised of first, second, and third separate images and the first separate image can be faded up to project light that is void of an image by a first command received at the communications port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Inventor: Richard S. Belliveau
  • Patent number: 7374289
    Abstract: A shutter device can switch between a state where illuminating light from a lamp of an illuminating device is blocked (referred to as a closing state of the shutter device) and a state where illuminating light passes through (referred to as an opening state of the shutter device). A system control circuit instructs a panel cooling fan-use power source to decrease a fan rotation speed, when receiving information indicating that the shutter device is in the closing state from the detecting portion. After receiving this instruction, the panel fan power source decreases power supplied to the panel cooling fan (fan motor).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisashi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7374290
    Abstract: A projection-type display device includes a shielding unit and image signal correction units that divide the picture plane of the spatial light modulation element into a plurality of areas and perform correction on the image signal applied to the spatial light modulation element according to the current shielding amount of the shielding unit for each of the plurality of areas. Accordingly, appropriate uniformity correction is performed even when there is a change in the angular distribution of light emitted from the spatial light modulation element and reaching the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Sato
  • Patent number: 7374291
    Abstract: An image display apparatus is provided, which includes a first image display element corresponding to a first color light, a second display element corresponding to a second color light different from the first color light, and a projection optical system having at least one reflective surface and projecting image lights from the first and second display elements onto a projection plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Kurioka