Patents Issued in March 29, 2016
  • Patent number: 9298128
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus having a photosensitive drum that carries a toner image, a developing roller is provided to be capable of rotating while carrying toner and supplies the toner to the photosensitive drum in order to develop a latent image, and a voltage applying device applies a voltage to the developing roller. The developing roller includes a conductive base layer and a surface layer covering the base layer, and a surface charge density of the developing roller is equal to or smaller than a surface charge density of the toner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuaki Orihara, Shuhei Tokiwa, Kazunari Hagiwara, Manami Haraguchi, Makoto Fukatsu, Atsushi Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 9298129
    Abstract: In a developing apparatus, a sealing member has a first part contacting an axial end part of a developing roller and a second part including a first side surface. A roller body of a supply roller includes a contact surface that contacts the peripheral surface, and a second side surface located at an end of the contact surface in the axial direction. The restricting member has a one side and another side. The one side is opposed to the second side surface in the axial direction. The another side is opposed to the first side surface in the axial direction with a gap. The gap is communicated with an interior space of a developer accommodating frame such that the developer is capable of moving away from a nip position between the supply roller and the developing roller toward the bottom wall of the developing frame in the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shougo Sato, Fan Xu
  • Patent number: 9298130
    Abstract: A toner cartridge according to one example embodiment includes a housing having a reservoir for containing toner therein. An exit port in fluid communication with the reservoir faces downward on a front of the housing near a first side of the housing. A portion of a main interface gear for providing rotational power to a toner delivery system is exposed on the front of the housing near a top of a second side of the housing and engagable with a corresponding drive gear in the image forming device. A projection extends forward from the housing further forward than a frontmost portion of the exit port and is spaced from the exit port toward the first side of the housing. A front of the projection is unobstructed for engaging a developer unit when the toner cartridge is inserted into the image forming device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjer Albaran Acosta, James Anthany Carter, II, Gary Neal Hackney, Katrina Rosit Lactuan, James Richard Leemhuis, Keith Seaman, Bryan Christopher Scharf, Matthew Lee Rogers, Christopher Gene Vowels, Jason Hale, Mark William Amann, Benjamin Keith Newman, Harald Portig, Rodney Evan Sproul
  • Patent number: 9298131
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes plural developing devices, plural developer containers, and plural developer transport devices. The plural developing devices are arranged side-by-side in a first direction. The plural developer containers contain developer and have discharge ports disposed between the plural developing devices in the first direction. The plural developer transport devices transport the developer from the plural developer containers to the plural developing devices. The plural developer transport devices include respective transport portions arranged side-by-side. Through at least one of the transport portions, the developer is transported from a corresponding one of the discharge ports in a direction opposite to a direction in which the developer is transported from the other discharge ports through the other transport portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takuji Matsumoto, Kenichi Shimada
  • Patent number: 9298132
    Abstract: A supplying apparatus includes a supply container including an accommodating portion configured to accommodate a developer, a discharge opening configured to discharge the developer out of the accommodating portion, and an expansion-and-contraction portion having a variable inside volume. The developer is supplied from the supply container through the discharge opening using an inside pressure variation of the supply container caused by expansion and contraction of the expansion-and-contraction portion. In addition, a receiving portion receives the developer supplied from the supply container and forms a feeding path along which the developer is fed, and a decomposing member is non-rotatably fixed at a position opposing, in a vertical direction, the discharge opening in the receiving portion and collides with free falling developer through the discharge opening to decompose the developer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideaki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9298133
    Abstract: A developing device includes: a developing roller; a casing; and a seal. The developing roller has a rotational axis extending in an axial direction. The casing has a first wall, and a second wall extending from the first wall toward the developing roller in an extending direction. The seal is disposed on the first wall and in contact with a peripheral surface of the developing roller. The seal includes: a film contacting with the peripheral surface of the developing roller; and a substrate disposed between the film and the first wall. The second wall has a first surface facing in a first direction and a second surface facing in a second direction. The first surface extends in the extending direction and contacts with the substrate of the seal. The second surface faces away from the first surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Ito, Ryuya Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9298134
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to securely close a discharge port of a toner cartridge by a shutter. The shutter to close the discharge port is provided with shutter-side coupling portions. A toner cartridge holding member is provided with holding member-side coupling portions which are coupled with the shutter-side coupling portions and close the discharge port by sliding the shutter according to movement of a toner accommodating portion, holding coupling portions to restrict movement of the toner cartridge in a direction in which coupling of the holding member-side coupling portions is released, and holding member-side inducing portions which induces the toner cartridge in a direction in which coupling with the shutter-side coupling portions is released after the discharge port is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuriko Okubo, Hirokazu Murase
  • Patent number: 9298135
    Abstract: A switch transmission mechanism of a first intermittent transmission mechanism 79 is switched between a transmission state and a non-transmission state, wherein in the transmission state, it transmits a rotational force to an intermediate rotator 72 based on an operation of an actuator 74. A second intermittent transmission mechanism 78 is switched between a transmission state and a non-transmission state, wherein in the transmission state, it transmits a rotational force of the intermediate rotator 72 to an output-side rotator 73.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Daisuke Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 9298136
    Abstract: An agitating mechanism according to one aspect of the present disclosure is disposed in a toner container in which toner is stored. The agitating mechanism includes a rotation shaft member. The rotation shaft member is configured to support an agitating member that agitates the toner. The rotation shaft member is provided, together with the agitating member, in the toner container so as to be rotatable. The rotation shaft member has a through hole that passes through the rotation shaft member in a first direction orthogonal to a rotation axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Masaru Torimoto
  • Patent number: 9298137
    Abstract: A liquid development device includes a storage section storing a liquid developer in which toner is dispersed, a development member to which the liquid developer stored in the storage section is applied using an application unit, a removing device that, after an electrostatic latent image in a latent image-holding member is developed, removes the liquid developer remaining in the development member, and a shearing device that is provided in a path through which the liquid developer removed using the removing device is returned to the storage section, and applies a shear force to the liquid developer by making the liquid developer pass through a contact section of two members either or both of which rotate and that have different circumferential velocities from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tokuya Sakamoto, Wataru Suzuki, Taichi Yamada
  • Patent number: 9298138
    Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a transfer belt which transfers a recording medium, a recording section which performs recording on the recording medium, and a wiper blade which is able to abut with the transfer belt, wherein the wiper blade is supported in a state of being clamped by clamping members. Extension lengths of the clamping members, which are from an clamping region in the direction toward the transfer belt, are different depending on the clamping member. The extension length of the clamping member, which is on the downstream side in the movement direction of the transfer belt to transfer the recording medium during recording, is longer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotaka Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 9298139
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer unit including a stretching roller and a rotatable transfer belt stretched by the stretching roller; a cleaning unit, including a blade movable toward and away from the transfer belt, for collecting a toner removed from the transfer belt by the blade; a moving member for moving the blade between a contact position where the blade is contacted to the transfer belt and a retracted position where the blade is moved away from the transfer belt; and a drive transmission device for permitting transmission of a driving force between the stretching roller and the movable member. The drive transmission device has an idling region where the drive transmission device is rotatable by a predetermined amount without transmitting the driving force to the stretching roller when the driving force is transmitted from the moving member to the drive transmission device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimi Suzuki, Chikara Imaizumi, Kazushi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9298140
    Abstract: A controller for controlling an image heating device which includes first and second rollers for heating therebetween a toner image on a sheet, a first rubbing roller for rubbing the first roller, and a second rubbing roller for rubbing the second roller, said controller including a counter configured to count a number of heated sheets; a first executing portion configured to execute rubbing by the first rubbing roller in accordance with an output of the counter; a second executing portion configured to execute rubbing by the second rubbing roller in accordance with an output of the counter; an acquiring portion execution instructions of an image glossiness improving mode operation provided by an operator; and a determination portion configured to determine which roller or rollers of the first second rollers is to be rubbed in accordance with an output of the counter, when the acquiring portion acquires the execution instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Moteki, Yasuharu Chiyoda
  • Patent number: 9298141
    Abstract: An image heating device includes first and second heating elements, a temperature detection element, and an electric power controller. The electric power controller controls electric power to be supplied to the both heating elements for each control cycle corresponding to a period including a plurality of consecutive half cycles of alternate current per a detected temperature. The electric power controller controls electric power such that a current having a waveform including first half cycles and a second half cycle is supplied to both heating elements. The electric power controller sets a first control pattern such that the first and second half cycles overlap with each other in the half cycles of same phases in supplied alternate current and sets a second control pattern such that the first half cycles overlap with each other and the second half cycles overlap with each other in the half cycles of the same phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatoshi Itoh
  • Patent number: 9298142
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus can be used in areas having different power supply voltages, in which a failure of the apparatus can be detected so that reliability of the apparatus is improved. The apparatus includes a connection state switching part which switches connection of a first heat generating member and a second heat generating member, which generate heat by electric power supplied from a commercial power supply through a power supply path, between a serial connection state and a parallel connection state, and a current detection part which detects current flowing in the power supply path. The current detection part is disposed in the power supply path after branching toward the first heat generating member and the second heat generating member in the parallel connection state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Shimura
  • Patent number: 9298143
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for erasing an image includes erasing an image formed using a toner containing at least a binder resin, an electron donating color developable agent, and an electron accepting color developing agent by heating for 10 seconds or less. A color difference ?E between a region where the image is erased and a paper is 5 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayasu Aoki, Koji Imamiya, Katsunori Mizuta
  • Patent number: 9298144
    Abstract: A backup belt assembly includes an endless belt, at least a pair of nip forming rollers contacting an inner surface of the endless belt and positioned relative to the fuser roller to provide pressure to a section of an outer surface of the fuser roller adjacent the endless belt so as to form an elongated fusing nip along the section. A first roller of the pair of nip forming rollers engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an entrance of the elongated fusing nip, while a second roller of the pair of nip forming rollers engages the fuser roller via the endless belt at an exit of the elongated fusing nip. The first roller provides a lower amount of pressure to the fuser roller relative to the pressure provided by the second roller. A supporting roller may be disposed within the endless belt near the entrance of the elongated fusing nip for providing acceptable media entry geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Alden Bayerle, Jeffery James Buchanan, Michael Clark Campbell, Benjamin Karnik Johnson, Charles Scott McDavid, Fangsheng Wu
  • Patent number: 9298145
    Abstract: A fuser device disclosed in the application, which fuses a developer to a medium, includes a first carrying part that contacts a surface of the medium on which the developer is transferred and carries the medium, a second carrying part that is positioned facing the first carrying part and carries the medium. A surface resistivity of the first carrying part is higher than a surface resistivity of the second carrying part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Takemasa Ishikuro
  • Patent number: 9298146
    Abstract: A fixing device includes: a rotatable fixing member formed as an endless belt; a heat source to heat the fixing member; a nip-forming member being not rotatable and arranged inside the fixing member; and a pressure member arranged outside the fixing member and forming a nip between the pressure member and the fixing member. The nip-forming member is formed of a first heat transmission unit and a sliding sheet. The first heat transmission unit includes an abutting part abutting the fixing member with the sliding sheet therebetween, and a bent part or bent parts extending inside the fixing member at upstream or upstream and downstream of the nip in a transport direction of a recording medium. A retaining part to catch and retain the sliding sheet is provided at a tip of at least the bent part at upstream of the nip in the transport direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Arinobu Yoshiura, Hideo Nagafuji, Yuji Arai, Kohichi Utsunomiya, Shohei Saito, Qifeng Cui, Yutaka Ikebuchi, Motoyoshi Yamano, Kenji Ishii, Hiromasa Takagi, Keitaro Shoji
  • Patent number: 9298147
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a roll sheet carrying an unfixed toner image is passed through a nip portion of a fixing portion including a fixing member heated to a predetermined temperature and a pressurizing member press-contacted with the fixing member so as to fix the toner image on the roll sheet. Then, the control portion performs winding prevention control of the roll sheet around the fixing member and the pressurizing member in accordance with a winding direction of the roll sheet and/or a roll radius of the remaining roll sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Takahiro Hara
  • Patent number: 9298148
    Abstract: To convey a sheet to a sheet processing device among multiple sheet processing devices configured to perform different types of sheet processing on a sheet to be output, a printing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a generation unit, and a printing unit. The acquisition unit acquires information from the multiple sheet processing devices to identify sheet processing. The generation unit generates an adjustment test image containing indications for adjusting respective sheet processing amounts from a shared reference line based on the information on each of the multiple sheet processing devices that is acquired by the acquisition unit. The printing unit prints the adjustment test image generated by the generation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuo Wakai
  • Patent number: 9298149
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a process unit configured to act on a photosensitive member, detecting unit configured to detect a latent image formed on the photosensitive member, and a color misalignment correcting unit configured to perform color misalignment correction based on time information obtained by detecting, by the detecting unit, a detection pattern including a plurality of latent image marks for color misalignment correction. In addition, a storage unit stores a weighting coefficient of each latent image mark. The color misalignment correcting unit is further configured to weight the time information by using the corresponding weighting coefficient and perform color misalignment correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Satoshi Nakashima
  • Patent number: 9298150
    Abstract: Provided is a failure predictive system, including a storage unit that stores a first model, a second model, and a third model, which are models prepared in advance based on data acquired with respect to one or more monitored apparatuses, an acquiring unit that acquires data of the control parameters and the data of the usages with respect to the monitored apparatus which is a failure predictive object, and a calculation unit that calculates a failure occurrence probability of the monitored apparatus which is the failure predictive object based on the data of the control parameters and the data of the usages acquired by the acquiring unit, and the first to the third models stored in the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Koki Uwatoko
  • Patent number: 9298151
    Abstract: A sheet conveyer including a body, a conveyer to convey the sheet into a conveyer path formed in the body, a conveyer-supporting frame to support the conveyer, a first placement unit including a lifting plate movable between a separated position and an approximate position, and a lateral guide arranged on the lifting plate to be movable integrally with the lifting plate and slidably along a widthwise direction and configured to restrict a widthwise position of the sheet placed on the lifting plate and, is provided. The conveyer contacts the sheet placed on the first placement unit, when the lifting plate is in the approximate position, and conveys the contacting sheet into the conveyer path. The conveyer-supporting frame is formed to have an interference-avoidable dented section, in which the side guide on the lifting plate placed in the approximate position enters partly to avoid interference with the conveyer-supporting frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Saya Minoshima
  • Patent number: 9298153
    Abstract: A decurling device includes a shaft; a decurling roller that has a diameter larger than that of the shaft, that becomes concave along an outer periphery of the shaft by being pressed against the shaft, and that removes curl from a transported object by nipping the transported object between the decurling roller and the shaft; and a restriction unit that restricts a direction in which the shaft is bent due to a load that the shaft receives from the decurling roller so that a middle portion of the shaft in an axial direction is convexly curved downstream in a transport direction of the transported object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakamura, Yasuto Okabayashi, Masakatsu Eda
  • Patent number: 9298154
    Abstract: According to embodiments, provided is an image processing apparatus that includes an erasing unit, an operation panel, and a control unit. The erasing unit erases an image formed on a conveyed recording medium. The operation panel receives the setting of the number of the recording mediums from which the image is removed. The control unit continues the image erasing process until a value obtained by counting the number of the recording mediums conveyed to the erasing unit by including the number of the recording mediums causing a conveyance error reaches the setting number when resuming the image erasing process after stopping the image erasing process in the event of the conveyance error of the recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takeharu Shokai
  • Patent number: 9298155
    Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, an image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sound absorbing device utilizing a Helmholtz resonator, and a hinged exterior cover operable to open and close relative to the apparatus body. The hinged exterior cover is a hinged cover configured to pivot about a pivot shaft arranged at a lower end portion of the hinged exterior cover. At least a part of the hinged exterior cover has a multiplex structure made by overlaying a plurality of plate-like members on one another. The sound absorbing device is formed by utilizing space between two plate-like members of the plurality of plate-like members making up the multiplex structure as a cavity of the Helmholtz resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroki Ishimitsu, Masahiro Ishida, Naoki Matsuda, Kohta Takenaka, Toshihiro Shimada, Wataru Hojo
  • Patent number: 9298156
    Abstract: A toner cartridge supporting apparatus includes a storage portion, an insertion port, an opening/closing cover, a detecting portion for detecting a toner remaining amount, a control portion for controlling the supply of toner, a judging portion to judge whether or not the toner in a toner cartridge is exhausted, a message generating portion for generating a replacement message, a display portion for displaying the message and a toner cartridge replacement icon, and a toner cartridge moving portion. A toner cartridge replacement message is displayed when toner in a toner cartridge has been exhausted. A toner cartridge movement instruction function is performed in response to a user instruction to replace a toner cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Fukuoka, Hitoshi Nagahama
  • Patent number: 9298157
    Abstract: A cartridge includes a first frame, an image-carrying member, a transfer member, and a second frame. The image-carrying member is rotatably supported by the first frame and is configured to carry a developer image thereon. The transfer member is rotatably supported by the first frame and faces the image-carrying member. The transfer member is configured to transfer the developer image from the image-carrying member to a recording medium. The image-carrying member and the transfer member define a nip portion therebetween. The second frame is attached to the first frame and is disposed downstream from the nip portion in a passage direction in which a recording medium passes. The second frame defines at least part of a first opening. The first opening allows a recording medium that has passed through the nip portion to pass therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Susumu Sakuma
  • Patent number: 9298158
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus housing having an opening and closing door, an attaching body, an image writer, and a guide mechanism. The guide mechanism moves the image writer in conjunction with opening and closing of the opening and closing door, guides the image writer to a write position upon closing the opening and closing door, and guides the image writer to a retracted position upon opening the opening and closing door. The guide mechanism has a first guide mechanism that moves the image writer along a first guide portion provided in the attaching body while the opening and closing door moves from the close position to an intermediate position, and a second guide mechanism that guides the image writer along a second guide portion provided in the apparatus housing while the opening and closing door moves from the intermediate position to the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi Sono, Masami Sakurai
  • Patent number: 9298159
    Abstract: A removal mechanism includes a removing member, an accommodation section, a receiver, and a cooling path. The removing member rubs against an extraneous-matter-adhered member, to which extraneous matter is adhered, so as to remove the extraneous matter therefrom. The accommodation section accommodates therein the extraneous matter removed by the removing member. The receiver receives, at a lower side of the accommodation section, the extraneous matter spilling out and dropping from the accommodation section. The cooling path allows gas so flow therethrough so as to cool the accommodation section from outside thereof. The cooling path is spatially isolated from a passage chamber through which the extraneous matter dropping from the accommodation section toward the receiver passes, an accommodation chamber for the extraneous matter in the accommodation section, and a chamber above the receiver that receives the extraneous matter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya Mitorida, Satoru Nishikawa, Akira Numazaki, Satoshi Takada, Taichi Fuchu, Hirotake Eguchi
  • Patent number: 9298160
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus of an embodiment has a printer portion, a fan motor, a counter, a timer, and a control unit. The control unit calculates a time interval between print jobs from the difference between a printing completion time of a first print job and a printing start time of a second print job based on the value which is measured by the timer when the print jobs are continuously performed. Furthermore, the control unit starts driving of the fan motor when the operation time of the printer portion which is counted by the counter or a value replaced with the operation time of the printer portion is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Ogiwara, Tadao Kamano, Yoshifumi Hasebe
  • Patent number: 9298161
    Abstract: An apparatus for the recording and multiplexing of pulsed reflection holograms made possible with the invention of the Hollow Core Photonic Crystal Fiber is disclosed herein. This holographic imaging apparatus uses the Hollow Core Photonic Crystal Fiber as a waveguide in which the highly coherent property of the lightwave required for recording interference fringes can propagate through this waveguide without this coherency of the lightwave diminishing. This apparatus enables the multiplexing of several reflection holograms in a single recording medium using the reference beam with several object beams in sequenced intervals of time and space; several multiplexed recordings are made within a brief interval in time with the object beam emanating from incremental points in space; around a 120 degree tangential arc in space to achieve parallax around this 120 degree tangential arc. This disclosure makes possible apparatus which is transportable and shoulder mountable for pulsed reflection holography.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Inventor: Jeffrey Max Belicofski
  • Patent number: 9298162
    Abstract: This timepiece includes a movement with a diameter of less than 40 mm which comprises a barrel (1) for the housing of a mainspring and of which the diameter is less than the radius of said movement. The barrel (1) comprises a cylindrical lateral wall (2), surrounded by a tooth gear (3), of which each edge (21, 21?) is closed by a disk (4, 4?) traversed axially by an opening (5, 5?) for pivoting of a barrel arbor (7). The height of the housing is between 85% and 97% of the total height of the periphery of the barrel (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ROLEX SA
    Inventor: Elio Mariotto
  • Patent number: 9298163
    Abstract: A timepiece wheel set with a unidirectional wheel including an arbor carrying a pinion and at least a first wheel that is coaxial with the pinion and pivotally mounted on the arbor. The first wheel is connected to the arbor by a first spring, which exerts a friction force on the first wheel. The wheel set also includes a second wheel pivotally mounted on the arbor, and connected to the arbor by a second spring, which exert a friction force on the second wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventor: Cedric Decosterd
  • Patent number: 9298164
    Abstract: An assembly for holding a balance spring includes a stud including a surface for orienting a balance spring, and a stud-holder. The stud-holder includes a first housing for receiving the balance spring stud, a mechanism to secure the stud including a screw orthogonal to the stud, and a mechanism to secure the stud-holder to an escapement mechanism. The screw partially passes through the stud to hold the stud in an indexed position. The stud includes a second housing for the contact-free passage of the screw. The stud-holder includes on either side of the first housing an internal thread cooperating with the screw and a third bore for the passage of a head of the screw cooperating in abutment with the orientation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Raphael Courvoisier, Christian Ruefenacht
  • Patent number: 9298165
    Abstract: A typesetting fixing method includes: disposing a typesetting member on a front surface of a dial plate, the dial plate being made of a transparent or semitransparent resin and the typesetting member being made of an opaque or semitransparent resin having a laser absorbing property; irradiating the dial plate with a laser beam from a rear side of the dial plate while the dial plate is uniformly applied a pressure by a heat-resistant jig; and welding the typesetting member on the dial plate by absorbing the laser beam at an interface of the typesetting member and by melting at least one of the typesetting member and the dial plate by heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Inoue
  • Patent number: 9298166
    Abstract: The invention concerns a multifunction display device for a watch including a rotating assembly having time indicators and function indicators, said rotating assembly being moved in rotation by a directional means, said display device being characterized in that the function indicators appear at least two times so that the rotating assembly presents the time indicators once and the function indicators at least twice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Lagorgette, Raphael Balmer
  • Patent number: 9298167
    Abstract: A timing device comprises an electrochemical timing structure and a mechanism that enables the timing device to be manually programmed to expire at a plurality of different time periods. In some embodiments, the mechanism is used to adjust the timing device to add a duration of time to an expiration time of the timing device. Alternatively the mechanism is used in order to subtract a duration of time from an expiration time of the timing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Vision Works IP Corporation
    Inventor: Alfred S. Braunberger
  • Patent number: 9298168
    Abstract: A multiview 3D wrist watch is disclosed. The wrist watch has clock circuitry to determine a time and a plurality of light sources to generate a plurality of input planar lightbeams. A directional backplane having a plurality of directional pixels scatters the plurality of input planar lightbeams into a plurality of directional lightbeams, each directional lightbeam having a direction and angular spread controlled by characteristics of a directional pixel in the plurality of directional pixels. A shutter layer receives the time from the clock circuitry and modulates the plurality of directional lightbeams to generate a 3D time view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: LEIA INC.
    Inventors: Brian Taff, David A. Fattal, Raymond G. Beausoleil
  • Patent number: 9298169
    Abstract: A wake-up appliance (100; 200; 300) comprises: an alarm device (20) generating an alarm signal; a control device (10) controlling the alarm device; at least one controllable light-generating device (1000; 2000; 3000) controlled by the control device. When the control device finds that an actual time becomes equal to a predetermined alarm time, it activates the alarm device. When the control device receives a user input signal at a snooze input, it stops the alarm signal and increases the intensity of at least a portion of the light generated in a blue range of the light spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Inge Van De Wouw, Robert Godlieb, Vanja Hommes, Willem Henderikus Veldhuis
  • Patent number: 9298170
    Abstract: A watch capable of automatically turning on a backlight and a related method includes: providing a watch and one or more wearable device both supporting a wireless communication protocol, establishing a communication between the watch and the wearable device via the wireless communication protocol, measuring a signal strength related to the communication, determining whether a distance condition is satisfied based on the signal strength, and turning on a backlight of the watch when the distance condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: MITAC INTERNATIONAL CORP.
    Inventor: Yu-Siang Fang
  • Patent number: 9298171
    Abstract: A robot cleaner and a method for controlling a robot cleaner are provided. The method may include sensing a stored value of a pulse width modulation (PWM) duty ratio based on a voltage of a battery; comparing a measured value of the PWM duty ratio with the stored value to calculate a difference between the measured value and the stored value; upon determining that the difference between the measured value and the stored value is equal to or greater than a first set value, calculating a distributed value of acceleration on a substantially vertically extending axis of the robot cleaner; and, upon determining that the distributed value of acceleration deviates from a range of a second set values, increasing a force to suction foreign matter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Chulmo Sung, Hyungsuk Kang, Inbo Shim
  • Patent number: 9298172
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and an apparatus for reward-based learning of policies for managing or controlling a system or plant. In one embodiment, a method for reward-based learning includes receiving a set of one or more exemplars, where at least two of the exemplars comprise a (state, action) pair for a system, and at least one of the exemplars includes an immediate reward responsive to a (state, action) pair. A distance metric and a distance-based function approximator estimating long-range expected value are then initialized, where the distance metric computes a distance between two (state, action) pairs, and the distance metric and function approximator are adjusted such that a Bellman error measure of the function approximator on the set of exemplars is minimized. A management policy is then derived based on the trained distance metric and function approximator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gerald J. Tesauro, Kilian Q. Weinberger
  • Patent number: 9298173
    Abstract: A system to performance tune a site system includes one or more controllers each controlling a subsystem of the site system by changing values of a set of parameters. The system also includes a site reference model configured to indicate a target performance of the site system, and a processor configured to instruct the one or more controllers based on the target performance for the site system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: William Forrester Seely
  • Patent number: 9298174
    Abstract: System and method for determining total inventory of batch and continuous biomass inventories in a biofuel production process. Measured biomass inventory values are received, including batch inventories from multiple batch fermenters and at least one continuous beer well inventory. The values are premised on a controlled vapor pressure of the batch fermenters and beer well(s), where the pressure fluctuates in an uncontrolled manner. A measured vapor pressure for the batch fermenters and beerwell(s) is received, and pressure compensated inventory values determined based on the measured inventory and pressure values. Measured biomass input flow to the batch fermenters and output flow from the beerwell(s) are received, and are premised on a constant biomass temperature and density, where biomass temperature and density fluctuate in an uncontrolled manner. The total inventory of batch and continuous inventories is determined based on the measured flows and the pressure compensated inventory values, and stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Brian K. Stephenson, Patrick D. Noll, Maina A. Macharia
  • Patent number: 9298175
    Abstract: A method for detecting an abnormal traffic on a control system protocol, includes: checking whether session information exists in a management table; adding a new entry to the management table; checking whether a transaction ID in a table entry is the same as that of the received MODBUS request message; and checking whether data and length thereof of the received MODBUS request message are the same as those in the table entry. Further, the method includes detecting an abnormal traffic; and updating the table entry with packet information of the MODBUS request message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Byoung-Koo Kim, Dong Ho Kang, Seon-Gyoung Sohn, Youngjun Heo, Jung-Chan Na, Ik Kyun Kim
  • Patent number: 9298176
    Abstract: A technique for controlling a process using non-periodically received process variable measurements enables more robust controller responses to setpoint changes. The control technique implements iterations of a control routine to generate a control signal using a reset or rate contribution component that produces an expected process response to the control signal. When a new measurement of the process variable is unavailable to the controller, the reset or rate contribution component that was generated in response to the receipt of the previous process variable is maintained when generating the control signal. However, the reset contribution component is iteratively recalculated during each controller execution cycle so that the output of the reset contribution component incorporates expected process changes that occur as a result of a setpoint change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Terrence L. Blevins, Mark J. Nixon
  • Patent number: 9298177
    Abstract: A machine tool according to an embodiment includes a drive mechanism configured to move a control target; a motor configured to operate the drive mechanism; a first encoder configured to detect a position of the control target; a second encoder configured to detect a position of the motor; a servo control unit configured to control the motor; and a numerical control unit configured to receive or calculate an error between the position of the control target obtained from a detection result of the first encoder and a position of the control target obtained from a detection result of the second encoder from the servo control unit, and to estimate a transmission error of the drive mechanism based on a change amount of the error between before and after inversion of a moving direction of the control target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Fujita, Chihiro Saga
  • Patent number: 9298178
    Abstract: A shape measuring apparatus includes: a probe having a stylus tip; a movable mechanism configured to move the stylus tip; an information acquiring unit configured to acquire design information of a workpiece; a path setting unit configured to set a path of the stylus tip; a path component calculating section configured to calculate a path velocity vector; a push direction component calculating section configured to detect a deflection, and calculate a push correction vector; a locus correction component calculating section configured to detect an amount and a direction of locus deviation of the probe from the path, and calculate a locus correction vector; a velocity synthesizing section configured to calculate a velocity synthesis vector by combining the path velocity vector, the push correction vector, and the locus correction vector; and a drive control unit configured to move the probe according to the velocity synthesis vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Noda, Hiromi Deguchi