Patents Issued in March 6, 2012
  • Patent number: 8128168
    Abstract: A bearing bush, disposed in a shaft hole of an external gear of a seat reclining device, which slidingly contacts wedge-shaped pieces. The seat reclining device has a differential transmission mechanism for adjusting an open angle of a hinge connecting a seating surface of a seat and a backrest thereof to each other. The differential transmission mechanism has an internal gear; an external gear, having a smaller number of teeth than the internal gear, which engages the internal gear; a pair of the wedge-shaped pieces disposed in a circular arc-shaped gap formed between the shaft hole of the external gear and a shaft of the internal gear with tapered ends of the wedge-shaped pieces opposed to each other; and a compression coil spring for imparting an elastic force to the wedge-shaped pieces in a direction in which the wedge-shaped pieces depart from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Hayashi, Satoru Fukuzawa
  • Patent number: 8128169
    Abstract: A seat reclining apparatus for a vehicle includes a first arm arranged at a seat cushion, a second arm arranged at a seat back, an internal gear formed at the first arm, an external gear formed at the second arm and engaging with the internal gear, a first circumferential portion formed coaxially with the internal gear, a second circumferential portion formed coaxially with the external gear, first and second wedge members accommodated in an accommodating space formed between the first and second circumferential portions, a spring arranged between the first and second wedge members and biasing the first and second wedge members, a drive shaft rotating around a rotation axis of either one of the first and second arms, and a retention groove retaining a lubricant, formed on the circumferential contact surface of each of the first and second wedge members, and extending along a direction of the rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masafumi Narita, Takashi Kitano
  • Patent number: 8128170
    Abstract: A reclining device of a seat for a vehicle is disclosed. With the disclosed device it is possible to prevent unexpected pivot of a seatback and improve the passenger's safety by maintaining the engagement of a sector tooth 20 and a pawl tooth 70 even if the pawl tooth 70 is separated from a rotational center protrusion 11 by a relatively large external force applied to the seatback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: DAS Corporation
    Inventors: Jaewon Cha, Sangjun Lee
  • Patent number: 8128171
    Abstract: An armrest assembly for a chair includes an armrest support, a mounting sleeve movably mounted on the armrest support, an armrest mounted on the mounting sleeve to move in concert with the mounting sleeve, and a lifting device mounted between the armrest support and the mounting sleeve and operable between a first position where the lifting device is locked to lock the mounting sleeve onto the armrest support and a second position where the lifting device is unlocked to unlock the mounting sleeve from the armrest support so that the mounting sleeve is movable relative to the armrest support freely. Thus, the mounting sleeve is movable relative to the armrest support so as to adjust the height of the armrest so that the height of the armrest is adjusted freely to support a user's arm comfortably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventor: Po-Chuan Tsai
  • Patent number: 8128172
    Abstract: An armrest assembly for a chair includes an armrest support, a mounting sleeve mounted on the armrest support, an armrest mounted on the mounting sleeve, and a lifting device mounted between the armrest support and the mounting sleeve to lock or unlock the mounting sleeve onto or from the armrest support. Thus, the mounting sleeve is movable relative to the armrest support so as to adjust the height of the armrest so that the height of the armrest can be adjusted freely to support a user's arm comfortably. In addition, a user only needs to pull the armrest upward to adjust the height of the armrest so that the user can adjust the height of the armrest easily and quickly in an energy-saving manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventor: Po-Chuan Tsai
  • Patent number: 8128173
    Abstract: A chair includes a backrest frame, an armrest frame detachably mounted on the backrest frame and a seat frame detachably mounted between the backrest frame and the armrest frame. Thus, the seat frame and the backrest frame are combined together easily and quickly so that a user can assemble and disassemble the chair by himself without needing aid of any hand tool, thereby facilitating the user assembling and disassembling the chair. In addition, the armrest frame, the seat frame and the backrest frame are detached from and laminated with each other before assembly so as to reduce the whole volume of the chair and to decrease the cost of packaging, storage and transportation of the chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventor: Su-Nu Huang
  • Patent number: 8128174
    Abstract: A framework and method of forming a framework is provided for a backrest of a vehicle seat. The framework includes a support member having a first wall portion and a second wall portion. The second wall section is spaced from the first wall portion at a plurality of locations to form a plurality of hollow pocketed sections. An expandable plastic material is disposed in and substantially fills the plurality of pocketed sections. The support member in cooperation with the expandable plastic material provides rigidity to the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Stefan Brunner, Klaus Boes
  • Patent number: 8128175
    Abstract: A suspension seating structure having a body support assembly which includes a membrane formed from at least one strap spanning across an opening. Each strap is coupled to a frame member through a retaining structure. The retaining structure is coupled with or forms part of each frame member and provides a structurally secure body support assembly. A cushion material encapsulates the membrane, where the cushion material contains relief channels to permit the membrane to respond more freely in response to a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Herman Miller, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Groelsma, John F. Aldrich, Eileen M. LaMore, Timothy P. Coffield
  • Patent number: 8128176
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for determining the cutting horizon of a mining winning system, having a movable conveyor which is composed of individual pan elements, and having at least one optical detection sensor which has a sensor head that is received in a sensor carrier and can be pressed with at least one pressure means against a coal/basement rock boundary layer. In order to improve the sensing and working reliability, over the length of the conveyor, a plurality of pan elements are configured as sensor pans which are provided with a protected recess which is open to the basement rock and in which the sensor carrier is arranged or can be arranged such that it can be disassembled together with the sensor head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Bucyrus Europe GmbH
    Inventors: Adam Klabisch, Norbert Hesse, Klaus Duhnke, Diedrich Bettermann, Gerhard Siepenkort
  • Patent number: 8128177
    Abstract: An adaptive advance control system for a construction machine senses the reaction forces applied by the ground surface to a milling drum, and in response to the sensed changes in those reaction forces controls the motive power applied to an advance drive of the machine. Early and rapid detection of such changes in reaction forces allow the control system to aid in preventing lurch forward events of the construction machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Wirtgen GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Menzenbach, Axel Mahlberg, Herbert Lange, Cyrus Barimani, Gunter Hahn
  • Patent number: 8128178
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cutter head for a ground cutter machine having at least one cutter motor. Each cutter motor comprises: two hydraulic motors, each comprising a stator and a rotor and having a common axis; a single shaft extending along said common axis and having two ends; two cutter drums mounted to rotate; two transmission assemblies for drivingly connecting each end of the common shaft to one of said cutter drums; and mechanical members for constraining the rotor of each hydraulic motor directly in rotation with the transmission assembly corresponding to the cutter drum that is closer to the hydraulic motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Compagnie du Sol
    Inventors: Philippe Chagnot, Laurent Pivert
  • Patent number: 8128179
    Abstract: According to a method for operating an actuating unit for motor vehicle brakes, an electromagnet that actuates a sealing seat of its control valve is controlled by a minimum current during a pressure-maintaining phase which is carried out independently of the vehicle operator's will, in order to avoid damaging of the coil of the electromagnet. To this end, a current controlling the electromagnet is slowly reduced until a previously fixed pressure decrease compared to the original value occurs. A previously fixed value is added to this current value, and the electromagnet is actuated by a current value corresponding to the result of the addition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG
    Inventors: Mark Baijens, Markus Ohly
  • Patent number: 8128180
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hydraulic braking system having a device for controlling brake slip, drive slip, and/or the driving stability of a vehicle. Among other things, such devices use pumps, valves, and reservoirs to control brake pressure in the wheel brakes in accordance with wheel slip occurring at the particular wheels. These components are in contact with each via a hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic circuit is built into a hydraulic block that has spaces for installing the components and channels for hydraulic contact. The invention makes possible a particularly compact and reduced-weight design of the hydraulic block and at the same time low manufacturing costs. For this purpose an advantageous layout and sealing of channels relative to each other and to the surrounding area is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Weh, Matthias Mayr
  • Patent number: 8128181
    Abstract: A braking control apparatus includes a brake operating member, a hydraulic circuit supplying a wheel cylinder hydraulic pressure to a wheel cylinder, a pump generating a hydraulic pressure so that the wheel cylinder hydraulic pressure reaches a value in response to an operation of the brake operating member, a circulation conduit provided at a portion of the hydraulic circuit, the circulation conduit through which a partial amount of brake fluid discharged from the pump is circulated back to the pump, a pressure regulating valve adjusting a pressure difference between an upstream side of the pressure regulating valve connected to the wheel cylinder and a downstream side, and a controlling device calculating, on the basis of a circulation flow rate of the brake fluid passing through the pressure regulating valve, an applied current to the pressure regulating valve for obtaining a target of the pressure difference and controlling the applied current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Yamauchi, Koichi Kokubo, Hiroaki Niino, Takeshi Hato, Masayoshi Takeda
  • Patent number: 8128182
    Abstract: A wall track system is provided with overhead storage cabinets or other furniture components to accommodate mounting of the furniture components in multiple configurations in a minimum of space. This system includes wall tracks which have two opposite side faces with two different slot patterns that accommodate two different mounting orientations for the furniture components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Haworth, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason DeWeerd
  • Patent number: 8128183
    Abstract: A rack system for housing electronic and/or electrical equipment is provided comprising a rectangular base frame, a rectangular top frame, and four elongated vertical support members each extending along a longitudinal axis between and joined to two associated corners of the rectangular base frame and the rectangular top frame. The rectangular base frame, rectangular top frame, and the four elongated vertical support members may be constructed from members having the same substantially A-frame cross-section. Each support member may be constructed from an elongated sheet material extending along a longitudinal axis by bending the sheet material about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sheet material to form at least three elongated sections, where a first section and a second section are adjacent and substantially perpendicular to each other and a third section extends between approximately mid-point of the first section and approximately mid-point of the second section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sanmina SCI-Corporation
    Inventors: Wyat Shen, James Weir, Zia Shariff, Leonard Selinger, Don Rudkin, Brett Anthony Kostka, Peter Dong, Jeffrey Zhao, Nick Wang
  • Patent number: 8128184
    Abstract: A door assembly for an appliance includes a door having an interior side and an exterior side. A frame defines an aperture extending through the door from the interior side to the exterior side. A module is disposed in the aperture. The module includes a first component and a second component. The second component disengageably connects with the first component. A pivot member is operably coupled with the module and with the frame. The module is rotatable about the pivot member thereby allowing access to both the first component and the second component from the exterior side of the door body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Paul B. Allard, James W. Kendall, Alan S. Lucas, Andrew M. Tenbarge, John J. Vonderhaar, Guolian Wu
  • Patent number: 8128185
    Abstract: A signal converter that may perform functions to enable a thermally based technology to be used with a piezo-electric printhead. The signal converter and piezo-electric printhead may optionally be used in conjunction with a chassis assembly having an adjustable vertical member for sizing the chassis assembly to a printer. Methods of using a piezo-electric printhead in a printer having a thermal printhead configuration may include the steps of coupling the printhead to the printer and performing conversion functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: MVM Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel W. Loyer, Stephen L. Boden
  • Patent number: 8128186
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a replaceable printing component for use in a printing system including print mechanism configured to receive the replaceable printing component. The replaceable printing component includes an electrical storage device responsive to printing system control signals for selectively storing information received from the print mechanism, the electrical storage device includes a storage portion containing data associated with the replaceable printing component, and first and second validation fields configured to store error detection codes relatable to the data contained in the storage portion to determine whether the data is valid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Joseph H. Bauman
  • Patent number: 8128187
    Abstract: A recording head includes plural nozzle groups and a second nozzle. Each of the nozzle groups includes plural nozzles that respectively form dots, which make up an image, on a recording medium by discharging droplets. The nozzles are arranged in a straight line that is inclined with respect to a main scan direction at a predetermined angle. The plural nozzle groups are arranged in a sub scan direction such that intervals in the sub scan direction between nozzles adjacent in the sub scan direction are substantially identical and positions in the sub scan direction of nozzles belonging to the respective nozzle groups are substantially aligned. The second nozzle is disposed at a substantially central portion in the main scan direction between adjacent nozzles of nozzle groups adjacent in the sub scan direction so as not to overlap with any other nozzle in the main scan direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Masaaki Konno
  • Patent number: 8128188
    Abstract: A system for monitoring ink flow is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a printhead configured to perform a priming event, a heating element, a sensor configured to measure the temperature of a printhead die at a plurality of times, and a processor configured to determine the success of a priming event by comparing an actual cooling rate to a threshold cooling rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: David Ramirez Muela, Francisco Lopez Moral, Maria Dinares Argemi, Xavier Gasso Puchal
  • Patent number: 8128189
    Abstract: A position detecting device for detecting a position of an object, includes a light emitting portion that emits light, a light receiving portion that receives the light from the light emitting portion, and a scale that is arranged between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, and includes a position detecting pattern and a smear detecting pattern. The position detecting pattern has a first light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a first light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged in a detection range of the object. The smear detecting pattern for detecting smear of the scale has a second light transmitting portion for transmitting the light from the light emitting portion and a second light interception portion for intercepting the light from the light emitting portion which are alternately arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakata, Hitoshi Igarashi
  • Patent number: 8128190
    Abstract: An ink circulation type inkjet printer includes a maintenance controller configured to: (1) allow a maintenance mechanism to execute maintenance processing for a plurality of inkjet heads before a present printing job under three conditions that: (c1) an elapsed time from a last printing job to a present printing job is less than a first reference time; (c2) the present printing job requests for ejecting ink from unused nozzles of multiple nozzles of the plurality of inkjet heads in the last printing job; (c3) the elapsed time is more than a second reference time; (2) allow the ink circulation type inkjet printer to perform the present printing job without the maintenance processing for the plurality of inkjet heads when the elapsed time is less than the predetermined second reference time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: National University Corporation Hokkaido University
    Inventors: Asayo Nishimura, Yoshiyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 8128191
    Abstract: A maintenance method is provided for a discharging head in which multiple discharging portions are arranged in line. The maintenance method includes the steps of performing an operation of continuously discharging droplets from one discharging portion or a plurality of unadjacent discharging portions, and repeating the operation for one discharging portion or a plurality of discharging portions adjacent to the previous discharging portion or the previous discharging portions in a predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Soichi Kuwahara, Kazuyasu Takenaka
  • Patent number: 8128192
    Abstract: The hand-held printer includes a print module configured for multidirectional printing, a print head in communication with the print module. The print head includes a plurality of nozzle arrays and wherein the nozzles in each of the plurality of nozzle are disposed substantially equidistant from a reference point. The hand-held printer further includes a circular cap configured to rotatably cooperate with the print head, wherein the circular cap cooperates with the print head to define a seal when the circular cap is disposed in a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: Asher Simmons
  • Patent number: 8128193
    Abstract: A cleaning mechanism has a slider moving together with a carriage and a suction cap provided on the slider to cap one of print heads mounted on the carriage to perform suction therefrom. A first contact portion and a second contact portion are provided in each of the carriage and the slider, and a third contact portion and a fourth contact portion are provided in the slider. In the case that the suction cap performs suction from a black head, when the carriage moves toward the cleaning mechanism side, the first contact portion and the third contact portion come into contact with each other to position the carriage and the slider in such a manner that the suction cap faces the black head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Seiji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8128194
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention includes: a drum which conveys a recording medium, a wiper extended in the axial direction of the drum, and inkjet heads aligned in the circumferential direction of the drum along the outer circumferential surface of the drum. The inkjet heads are moved by a head-moving mechanism to be in a recording position or a wiping position. The wiper-moving mechanism moves the wiper in the circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface so that the wiper wipes ejection surface of at least one of the inkjet heads while the inkjet heads are in the wiping position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Goro Okada
  • Patent number: 8128195
    Abstract: Methods and means for wiping a page-wide print array are provided. An installable and removable cartridge includes a quantity of web material. The web material traverses a serpentine pathway and is driven by a motor such that fresh web material can be provided to a cleaning zone. The web material within the cleaning zone is wiped across the ink discharge surface of an array of printing dies to remove debris. Wiping action is performed perpendicular to a lengthwise aspect of the page-wide print array. Various embodiments of compact and effective cleaning mechanisms are thus provided in modular, replaceable forms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Jeffrey T Hendricks, Gene D Jones
  • Patent number: 8128196
    Abstract: A liquid ejection device includes a jetting module including an array of nozzles; a thermal stimulation device associated with each nozzle of the array of nozzles; and a controller in electrical communication with each thermal stimulation device. The controller is configured to provide a first activation waveform to each thermal stimulation device and to provide a second activation waveform to each thermal stimulation device to clean the associated nozzle with liquid emitted from the associated nozzle. The second activation waveform has a higher activation component when compared to the first activation waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Gregory J. Garbacz, Ali G. Lopez, Chang-Fang Hsu
  • Patent number: 8128197
    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: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kenji Kojima
  • Patent number: 8128198
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first carriage, a second carriage, an endless belt member, and a driving source. The first carriage further includes a recording head. The second carriage further includes one or more electrical components. The endless belt member is extended between a driving pulley and a driven pulley. The first carriage and the second carriage are connected to the endless belt member at diagonally opposed positions. The driving source rotates the driving pulley, moving the belt member to move the first carriage and the second carriages in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsuguyori Kemma
  • Patent number: 8128199
    Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method which use a print head having a plurality of ejection port rows to enable high-quality printing without causing uneven density in a conveying direction by varying the printing distribution ratio of the ejection port rows in the print head depending on gray level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiko Osaki
  • Patent number: 8128200
    Abstract: The first head includes first nozzle rows each having a nozzle for ejecting a fluid of a first color and a nozzle for ejecting a fluid of a second color lined up in a color order in a cross direction. The second head includes second nozzle rows each having the two nozzles lined up in a color order in the cross direction. The controller controls a nozzle to dispose a plurality of color-overlapped dots to form a raster line, such that a ratio of A1 to ā€œA1+A2ā€ is larger than a ratio of B1 to ā€œB1+B2ā€ to form the raster line, where A1 and A2 donate amounts of a fluid of the first color from the first and second nozzle rows, respectively, and B1 and B2 donate amounts of a fluid of the second color from the first and second nozzle rows, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kasahara, Toru Takahashi, Toru Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 8128201
    Abstract: A fluid ejector having a first surface, a second surface, and an orifice that allows fluid in contact with the second surface to be ejected. The fluid ejector has a non-wetting layer exposed on at least a first surface of the fluid ejector, and a overcoat layer exposed on a second surface, the overcoat layer being more wetting than the non-wetting layer. Fabrication of this apparatus can include depositing a non-wetting layer on the first and second surfaces, masking the first surface, optionally removing the non-wetting layer from the second surface, and depositing an overcoat layer on the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Okamura, Jeffrey Birkmeyer, John A. Higginson
  • Patent number: 8128202
    Abstract: A nozzle plate includes: a nozzle for discharging a liquid as droplets; a liquid-repellent film suppressing attachment of the droplets on one surface of the nozzle plate; and a first bonding film formed on the other surface of the nozzle plate and bonded with a substrate. In the nozzle plate, the liquid-repellent film includes a first plasma polymerized film having a Si skeleton, which includes a siloxane (Si—O) bond and has a random atomic structure, and an elimination group bonded with the Si skeleton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhide Matsuo, Kenji Otsuka, Kazuo Higuchi, Kosuke Wakamatsu
  • Patent number: 8128203
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for manufacturing an ink-jet printhead comprising the steps of providing a print head wafer comprising a plurality of print head dice, each print head die comprising a nozzle plate bonded to a barrier layer formed on a substrate, wherein said plurality of print head dice are arranged on the substrate so as to define at least one first dividing channel comprising at least one first channel portion, said at least one first channel portion having a bottom portion comprised between the lateral sides of said barrier layer of at least two adjacent print head dice and an upper portion comprised between the lateral sides of said nozzle plate of said at least two adjacent print head dice, and applying an adhesive composition in an amount able to substantially fill the whole length of said at least one first channel portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
    Inventors: Silvano Tori, Giancarlo Arvat, Enrico Manini, Fabio Peaquin, Claudio Pasqua
  • Patent number: 8128204
    Abstract: A liquid ejection head and a method of forming the same. The liquid ejection head includes a substrate, an ejection port, a liquid channel, and a supply port. The substrate has, above one side thereof, an energy generating element configured to generate energy used to eject liquid. The ejection port, from which a liquid is ejected, is located at a position corresponding to the energy generating element. The liquid channel communicates with the ejection port and penetrates the substrate from the one side to another side of the substrate. The supply port communicates with the liquid channel. The substrate has a projecting layer extending inward of an inner peripheral portion of an opening in the supply port in the one side, and the projecting layer and the energy generating element are formed of the same material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyasu Ozaki, Junichi Kobayashi, Shuji Koyama, Tadanobu Nagami, Yoshinori Tagawa, Kenji Fujii, Hiroyuki Murayama, Masaki Ohsumi, Jun Yamamuro, Yoshinobu Urayama, Hiroyuki Abo, Takeshi Terada, Masahisa Watanabe, Taichi Yonemoto
  • Patent number: 8128205
    Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes a plurality of firing cells, a clocked latch switch, and a data latch switch. Each firing cell includes a heater used to fire ink through a nozzle, a drive switch, and a memory cell used to store a control value used to control the drive switch. The memory cell includes a data switch. A clocked latch switch receives a data-in signal and latches the data-in signal. All of the firing cells in the plurality of firing cells use the data-in signal latched by the clocked latch switch. The data latch switch latches the data-in signal to the data switch of at least two, but not all of the firing cells in the plurality of firing cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Trudy Benjamin, Kevin Bruce
  • Patent number: 8128206
    Abstract: A liquid ejection substrate used to eject a liquid includes a substrate having an element row including a plurality of elements provided in a row, where each of the elements generates energy, drive circuits that drive and control the elements, a signal line that is shared by and connected to the drive circuits, the signal line being provided along the element row, and a heating portion generating heat used to heat the substrate, wherein the heating portion is provided so that the heating portion does not overlap the signal line with reference to a direction perpendicular to a face of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takaaki Yamaguchi, Yoshiyuki Imanaka, Koichi Omata, Kousuke Kubo
  • Patent number: 8128207
    Abstract: A head chip for a liquid jet recording device has a pair of piezoelectric elements that form a liquid jet channel therebetween, a common electrode formed on a surface of each piezoelectric element on the liquid jet channel side, and a drive electrode formed on an opposite surface of the piezoelectric element. A cover plate is joined so as to cover a common terminal connected to the common electrode, and an integrated wiring that integrates and electrically connects all of the common terminals is formed on a surface of the cover plate. The integrated wiring is connected to the common terminals through the contact plugs formed in through-holes of the cover plate. Integrated terminals connected to the integrated wiring and drive terminals connected to the drive electrodes are arranged in line at an end of an actuator plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: SII Printek Inc.
    Inventor: Osamu Koseki
  • Patent number: 8128208
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting head includes a flow passage forming substrate that includes a plurality of pressure generating chambers juxtaposed to each other and each in communication with a nozzle for ejecting droplets, and piezoelectric elements disposed on the flow passage forming substrate with a diaphragm interposed therebetween. The piezoelectric elements include a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode. The piezoelectric layer tapers downward at its ends. The lower electrode has a width smaller than the width of each of the pressure generating chambers. The piezoelectric layer has a larger width than the lower electrode to cover end faces of the lower electrode. The diaphragm has a top layer formed of a titanium oxide (TiOx) insulator film. The lower electrode has a top layer formed of a lanthanum nickel oxide (LaNiyOx) orientation control layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Masato Shimada
  • Patent number: 8128209
    Abstract: An ink cartridge includes a main body and a cover. A liquid storing chamber and an air introducing post for communicating the liquid storing chamber with the outside atmosphere are disposed in the main body. A liquid filling port is disposed on the cover. A balancing chamber, a detecting chamber, and a floater are disposed in the main body. The balancing chamber and the detecting chamber are in communication with each other via a through hole. The detecting chamber and the liquid storing chamber are in communication with each other via a liquid guiding port. The floater, whose density is lower than that of the ink liquid, is located in the detecting chamber. The lower portion of the air introducing post communicates with the outside atmosphere via a waterproof sponge. The ink cartridge may conveniently monitor usage of ink liquid in the main body and reduce residual ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Print-Rite•Unicorn Image Products Co., Ltd. of Zhuhai
    Inventor: Yonggang He
  • Patent number: 8128210
    Abstract: A fluid ejecting apparatus includes a fluid containing portion, a fluid discharging portion, a flow passage forming portion and a valve mechanism. The fluid containing portion contains fluid. The fluid discharging portion discharges the fluid. The flow passage forming portion forms a fluid flow passage that extends from the fluid containing portion to the fluid discharging portion. The valve mechanism is able to open or close the fluid flow passage. The fluid ejecting apparatus is placed in an initial state before an initial use of the fluid ejecting apparatus, wherein fluid is contained in the fluid containing portion and at least portion of the fluid flow passage from a position of the fluid containing portion to a position of the valve mechanism is filled with the fluid and the fluid flow passage is closed by the valve mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Seino, Taro Takekoshi, Norihisa Kobayashi, Noritsuna Rokuhara
  • Patent number: 8128211
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an ink-cartridge for printers comprising a body formed having a filling hole on an upper surface thereof; a plurality of filling chambers inside of the body divided by a partition having a connecting hole; a discharging chamber connected to the filling chamber; an air chamber connected to the filling chamber via an air transferring channel so as to supply air to the filling chamber; an air suction valve installed in the air chamber; an air inducing channel inducing external air to the air suction valve; a blocking film attached to one surface of the body; and a cover installed in the other side surface of the body; and a pressure regulating part formed in a surface of an outer wall of the body and communicating with the filling chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Inktec Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kwang-Choon Chung, Chang-Soo Yu, Nam-Boo Cho, Young-Chul Shin, Bae-Song Heo
  • Patent number: 8128212
    Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus has: a pressure control device which controls a liquid movement device in accordance with determination results of a first pressure determination device and a second pressure determination device in such a manner that interiors of a first liquid chamber and a second liquid chamber respectively assume prescribed pressures, wherein the pressure control device controls the liquid movement device so as to adjust the internal pressures of the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber in such a manner that a prescribed pressure differential between the internal pressures of the first liquid chamber and the second liquid chamber is produced and a prescribed back pressure is applied to the liquid inside a plurality of nozzles of a recording head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignees: Fujifilm Corporation, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahito Katada, Atsushi Murakami
  • Patent number: 8128213
    Abstract: A liquid cartridge which is used and is in the empty state is attached to the second cartridge attaching unit. When the attachment detector has detected that the liquid cartridge is attached to the second cartridge attaching unit and the second empty detector has detected that the liquid cartridge is in an empty state, the control unit controls the pump in such a way that a predetermined conveyance amount of the liquid is conveyed to the liquid cartridge attached to the second cartridge attaching unit after the liquid is conveyed from the discharge path to the liquid cartridge until the second empty detector detects that the liquid cartridge is no longer in the empty state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takaichiro Umeda
  • Patent number: 8128214
    Abstract: An ink charging injection apparatus for charging ink to an ink pack is disclosed. The ink injection apparatus includes a pressurizing tank for storing ink, piping, a deaeration device, and an air vent pipe. The piping connects the pressurizing tank to the ink pack such that ink stored in the pressuring tank can be supplied from the pressurizing tank to the ink pack. The deaeration device is provided in the piping. The deaeration device is operated to produce suction for deaerating ink in the piping. The air vent pipe branches from a section of the piping and communicates with the deaeration device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Chihiro Fujimori
  • Patent number: 8128215
    Abstract: The present invention provides an ink jet printer having an ink-contacting member which is in contact with an ink until the ink is injected from a print head and which contains an antioxidant, wherein the ink-contacting member has a concentration of a compound represented by the following formula (1) of 100 ppm or less: Further, an ink jet recording method using the ink jet printer and recorded matter recorded by the ink jet recording method are also disclosed. According to the invention, there is provided an ink jet printer using an ink-contacting member which inhibits the formation of a crystalline molecular complex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Hara, Masanori Takemura, Hiroshi Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 8128216
    Abstract: A printing device has an image receptor adapted to have an image formed thereon. The printing device also includes a transfer roller and a motor. A transfer roller load mechanism moves the transfer roller into contact with the image receptor in response to the motor output. A controller manipulates the motor in conjunction with a feedback signal from a load detector and regulates the load of the transfer roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Michael E. Jones, David L. Knierim, David D. Martenson
  • Patent number: 8128217
    Abstract: A material cutter for producing a selected cutting profile. The material cutter includes a cutter frame and a cutter button. The cutter frame has a stationary blade. The cutter button, which is slidably mounted in the cutter frame, has a moving blade with a cutting edge. The cutter button preferably includes a profile selector, so that when a driving force is applied to the cutter button, the moving blade slides past the stationary blade to the extent allowed by the profile selector. The profile selector may be a knob and the cutting profile may be set manually or automatically. It is preferred that at least one of the selectable cutting profiles is a partial cut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panduit Corp.
    Inventors: Michael Scott Adams, Marc R. Obenshain